Harry Potter and the Prince of Darkness
by AltruousAlliterator
Summary: Sickness is a terrible thing. For years, Daniel lived a life of pain and suffering that would have broken a lesser man. Hopelessness, fear, and death surrounded him for as long as he could remember. Despite his tragic circumstances, he strived to live a life filled with hope and freedom, where he could die on his own terms. When one door closes, another one opens. TEMP HIATUS
1. Death Waits For No Man, Save One

The rhythmic beeps of the vital signs monitor next to his bed woke Daniel up from his slumber. Groggy and tired from his sedative-induced nap, he willed himself to get up. His muscles ached and strained as he slowly rose from his sleeping position to sit up. His legs had fallen asleep and desperately needed a massage to increase blood flow. Gingerly massaging his buzzing legs, Daniel slowly pivoted them off the bed and lowered them to the floor.

The tiles were cold and unforgiving. They seemed to perfectly match the somber atmosphere of the ward. It seemed to be night as the room was dark with a warm nightlight next to his bed. Near the door, the harsh, bright fluorescent lights typically seen in a hospital lit up the hallway.

'Come on Daniel. You can do this. Just push hard on the bed and just lift yourself up. It's not that hard, you did it yesterday, you can do it today. Slow and steady.' Daniel started to encourage himself as his body was prepping to alight from the bed. He needed all the encouragement he could get, seeing as he was rather weak due to his sickly nature. Reflected in the mirror on the dresser next to his bed was a pale, emaciated boy with raven-black hair. He had handsome, boyish good looks that seemed to compliment his rather sickly figure. That had never stopped him from pushing the envelope though. He had gotten in enough trouble to last a lifetime with his escapades.

As fate would have it, he had woken up and started to prep for his little stunt just as the ward nurse's rounds had started. In the middle of his pep talk, she had walked in on him. "Daniel! What are you doing?! Get back in bed immediately mister!" she exclaimed while rushing over to his side.

"Hey, Big Sis Agatha! You look extra beautiful today." Now that he was caught in the act, the most important thing was changing the subject to not get into trouble.

"Oh no, young man. No changing the subject after you're caught. What on Earth do you think you're doing?! You just had a major procedure to get rid of the tumors. You should be resting, not making your condition even worse than it already is." Agatha was having none of it as she chastised him for his foolish behavior.

This made Daniel a little worried, as out of all the nurses that he came to view as his family, Agatha was by far the most protective, and tempestuous. For his previous adventure, he had decided to go on a trip to visit Times Square without telling anybody. He had come back happy and satisfied to witness the ward in chaos as they searched all over the building for him. Agatha had run over and pounced on him as soon as she had seen him. Immediately afterward, she blew a gasket and gave him a lecture that he wouldn't forget for the rest of his life. Hence, when Agatha told him to do something, he did it.

"Don't worry big sis. I feel perfectly fine. In fact, if it weren't for you being here. I could already be up and walking if I wanted to." He needed to calm her down. She had made his life miserable for nearly 2 weeks after the previous incident and he needed to stay on her good side so long as he was here.

"I don't care how you feel you are. I know that a procedure such as yours would put significant strain on your body regardless. What you're feeling is the residual anesthesia in your system dulling your pain. Sooner or later, it's gonna wear off and then you'll realize how much pain you're actually in. So listen to me, and get back in bed. Now!".

"Alright, alright. I'll get back in bed. Sheesh, you don't have to get so angry." With that, Daniel sulked back into bed and laid down.

"Good. Now if you need anything, just hit the call button. I'll be right outside."

"Good night Big Sis Agatha" Daniel mumbled as she started to walk towards the door.

Turning around, she flashed him a soft smile. Her gaze held warmth and loving as she walked over to his bedside. Bending down, she gave him a soft kiss on his forehead and said "Good night, Daniel. Sweet dreams." She promptly turned and walked out the door without looking back.

Daniel was surprised and shocked by the display of affection he had just experienced. He had always seen Agatha as an overprotective, overbearing elder sister. He seemed to have witnessed a side of her that he had never seen before. 'Wow. She was actually really cute. I can't believe she could even do something like that... it felt so nice.' Daniel blushed as his heart skipped a couple of beats, something that could be seen on the monitor. Thus, he fell asleep with a warm and fuzzy feeling all over his body.

The next few weeks passed by in a blur. He led a very repetitive life, but he seemed to find something new to do every single day. For as long as he had known, he was suffering from multiple life-threatening conditions. He was born a very sick baby, and the doctor had given his parents a grave prognosis, one that predicted him not making it to his 5th birthday. Nevertheless, he was a tough boy with a lot of willpower, something he had built up over the years. Despite the grim prediction of all the doctors his parents had consulted with, Daniel had seemingly defied the odds, living well past what anyone had thought possible.

He had lived for eighteen years. Eighteen years of pain, surgeries, drugs and hospital food. Not all of it was that bad though. His parents were quite wealthy and could easily sustain his rather significant hospital expenses. They had flown him out to the best clinics to consult with world-renowned doctors. Disregarding the cards, they were dealt with, they tried to make Daniel's life as comfortable and normal as possible.

Sure, he was stuck in a hospital nearly 24/7, but that didn't mean he couldn't learn things or make friends. They bought him the latest consoles to play with others online and a laptop to study and learn new things. Times were changing and this was especially true in the realm of education. Education was no longer limited to campuses. The Internet allowed for the proliferation of vast amounts of knowledge, for any subject imaginable. So every day, Daniel would open up his laptop and go through a course he was interested in. One day it was programming, the next day it was mathematics and he also didn't forget chemistry and physics. He wasn't a genius by any measure, but he loved to learn, and that passion allowed him to excel in any subject he took up.

Due to his solid academic foundation, it allowed him to be able to pursue any path he wanted. When confronted with his many choices, one came very easily to him. Doctor. He wanted to study medicine and help people. His own mortality was insignificant to him at this point. He had long since come to terms with the fact that he was living on borrowed time. Any day could be his last and so he tried to live life to the limit, every single day. So far, things had gone his way, but who knows what might happen.

Knowing this, he studied extra hard to obtain his bachelor's degree through an accelerated online program. He finished the program in 1.5 years and managed to get a seat in one of the top surgery programs in the US at Columbia University in his hometown of New York City. He began his studies in earnest, embracing the difficult schedule and stress that came along with med school. With the encouragement of all the staff at the hospital, he was halfway through the curriculum when his body started failing him.

His illness that had slowly disappeared as he started med school, had come back with a vengeance. Nowadays, he could barely sit while eating and the pain burgeoned as time went on. Within two weeks, he went from hale and hearty to being transferred to the ICU. His life, which he had just started to finally live was taken away from him just like that.

Even when all that happened, Daniel never lost the spark of hope in his eyes. Knowing that he could no longer pursue medicine, he took to conversing with the other patients. Some of them weren't too keen to talk to him at first, but he eventually won them over with his bright and bubbly personality. Just by talking to them, he was able to get a perspective that he had never gotten before. Every one of them had their own story, filled with struggles and triumphs. He was fascinated by all that he heard from them and often tried to ask them questions about their lives and experiences.

He made a lot of friends in the process. A few of them had gotten better and been discharged. Most of them didn't make it out alive. It was curious how Daniel could be so happy and hopeful while being constantly surrounded by suffering and death. He also felt kind of weird about it, but after not minding it for so long, he was not going to start being depressed now.

The days passed and Daniel's health slowly started deteriorating. He could see the looks of pity from the nurses more frequently now. He didn't blame them at all. Agatha was the one hit hardest by his condition. Almost every day, she would enter Daniel's room and tell him to keep his hopes up and that things were going to get better. Every day she said the same things, yet every day, Daniel looked forward to it. He knew his life was fading. He felt weaker with each passing day and nothing that Agatha said could stop him from feeling like his life was a flickering candle in the wind, about to be blown out at any second.

His mother had started visiting more often. Initially, his parents had both visited once every week on Saturdays, but when he started school, they had let him focus on his studies. With his currently precarious condition, his mother had started to come in almost every day for half an hour. He cherished their meetings and often dressed up a little bit to distract her from his pallid appearance. They would talk about everything that was happening in the world and at home. Oftentimes, his mother would bring him books to read. With his failing health, he chose to give up video games and the Internet. Instead, turning to a more classic form of entertainment, novels.

He had never been much of a fiction reader. Most of the time, his interests went into non-fiction books and the writings of great philosophers. They gave him access to information about the history of the world, as well as many perspectives on how to tackle the moral quandaries in his life. His mother had told him to give fiction a try, so he had acquiesced and started reading a very popular teen fiction series known as the Harry Potter series.

Despite his initial hesitance, he delved into the story and found himself entranced by the imagination of the author, J. K. Rowling. Creating a mystical world with such intricate detail was not easy by any means, but she had pulled it off with aplomb. Daniel was hooked and voraciously read the books. His mother was ecstatic about his newfound love of fiction and got him new Harry Potter books every time she came to visit. Apparently, the series had already been finished and Daniel was just late to the party, something he had become accustomed to a long time back.

A week passed and he had finally finished reading the final book, The Deathly Hallows. Finishing it left somewhat of a bittersweet taste in Daniel's mouth. Some of the plot points had been exciting in the beginning but had fizzled out near the end. Many things had been left without explanation, including the Elder Wand and its allegiance and questions like why Dumbledore didn't just give Harry the two Deathly Hallows objects he had. This and many other plot points bewildered him after he finished the book. Dismissing his confusion, he decided to just let it be and experience the movies. So, the following week was dedicated to binge-watching the Harry Potter movie series.

As he watched the movies one after the other, he gradually felt himself becoming weaker and weaker. 'It seems that my time's coming to an end. How unfortunate.' He had just started a new series of books, but he was starting to sleep more often. Bouts of tiredness would come and go in waves and on particularly bad days, he would stay asleep in bed for hours on end.

All the nurses picked up on his gradual descent and started to hover around him more. They always changed their placement to specifically have one person monitoring his condition. His mother and father had both started to visit him every day now. He could see the hopelessness in their eyes, and he tried to comfort them in the best way he knew how: smiling and laughing. He saw the tension and stress on their faces visibly decrease and how they also found moments of joy and happiness in such a gloomy situation.

The day had started out like any other, but Daniel had felt something in the air. He couldn't really explain what exactly it was, but he knew, he was going to die today. At this realization, tears pooled in his eyes and dripped onto his blanket. Agatha had witnessed this and had run to him immediately.

"Daniel! Are you alright?!" she asked worriedly.

Daniel said nothing for a few moments, simply staring into the wall. He mumbled "Can you come here Big Sis Agatha?" beckoning her with his hand.

Agatha came to the side of his bed and bent down towards him. He turned his head towards her and with strength unbefitting of a sickly person, hugged her tightly. His lips locked with hers and he felt an electric current run through his body. Agatha's eyes widened and slowly, she closed them, losing herself in the moment. After a good ten seconds, they finally parted, leaving a glistening trail of saliva between them. He took her face in his hands and gazed at her tenderly while proclaiming "I love you, Agatha. I needed you to know that. Thank you for taking care of me for all these years. No matter what happens, I'll love you forever."

Her eyes started getting watery as she heard his words. She had been waiting to hear them for many years. Who knows when she had started to see him as more than just her cute little brother? However, all she knew right now was that something was wrong. He wouldn't be saying such words if everything was alright.

"Daniel, I love you too, but what's wrong? You're scaring me. Please, tell me." she begged him while looking into his soft, sea-green eyes.

"My time has come, Agatha. I can feel it in the air. Today's the day I leave for good." he said.

Agatha was horrified. The normally upbeat and cheerful Daniel was saying such things with confidence. Immediately, she denied his claims. "No, Daniel. Please, you're perfectly healthy. Nothing's going to happen to you. Just relax, okay? You're going to be fine. You're not getting rid of me that easily."

Daniel smirked while listening to her. He understood. Having finally told her how he felt about her, it was like his chest felt lighter. He felt like he was floating on cloud nine. He didn't want to lose this feeling either, but he knew that no matter what happened, today was his last day on Earth. Despite his mentality and preparations for this situation, he still felt anxious and unfulfilled. A feeling of regret for not being able to become a doctor and help others, for not spending as much time with his family as he should have. His regrets were many, but what could he do about it? All he could do was enjoy what little time he had left with those he loved the most.

"Hey Agatha, would you mind if we went out for lunch today? If you're busy, maybe we could go for coffee?" he asked a little nervously. He had never asked a girl on a date before, but after extensively Googling it, he had gained some semblance of confidence.

Agatha looked at him with surprise but smiled and agreed to go out for lunch with him. A couple of hours later, Daniel had surprised Agatha by driving them to a fancy new Italian restaurant that had recently had its grand opening. There, they had a wonderful lunch of pasta, expensive vintage wine, and dessert. They had talked and laughed the whole time, just enjoying each other's company.

They returned to the hospital and Agatha had gone to do her rounds. Daniel called his parents and invited them to come over. He made sure to stress that his father should come over too. Although it was a bit late, his father canceled multiple meetings to come and be with his family. This was the part of his father he loved the most, the willingness to do anything for his family. Daniel was sure that if given a choice, his father would give up his entire empire and all his money if it meant his family was safe and happy.

They talked in his room about all the things that were happening and Daniel told them about his confession and date with Agatha. His parents had been very happy for him and took him out to dinner to celebrate the occasion. Dinner had lasted a long time as they had gotten lost in chatting with each other. They had returned to the hospital well past his scheduled bedtime. Agatha was about to scold him when she saw his parents walk into the ward with him. When she saw their knowing smiles, she had blushed profusely.

Calming herself down, she smiled and escorted them to Daniel's room. Lying down on the bed, Daniel looked at his parents and gave them a bright smile. His smile lit up the room and everyone felt happier for a moment.

Daniel suddenly felt a chill on the back of his neck and looked towards a corner of the room that was engulfed in darkness. The darkness seemed fluid-like, gently pulsating before morphing into a man dressed in a black suit sitting with his legs crossed. He was looking at him with pale golden eyes that looked like fireflies in the dark. Daniel thought it was his imagination, but as he saw the man, he swore he could see him acknowledge his stare.

'So, this is it. He's come for me. Wow, never knew Death could look so stylish.'

"You're here for me, aren't you? I knew my time had come since I woke up this morning and I had hoped that I was mistaken. Seeing you here, I guess it was true." Daniel spoke, seemingly to no one while staring at the corner.

"Daniel? Honey, what's going on? Are you okay?" his mother asked worriedly as she saw her son talking to somebody that she couldn't see.

Ignoring his mother's questions, Daniel firmly locked eyes with the man and asked: "Could I at least say goodbye before I leave?". The man gazed back, looking at Daniel with mirth in his eyes, before silently giving a single nod.

He called his parents over to his bedside and they both came near. He hugged them, hard. While hugging them, his vision became watery as tears dripped down his face. "Thank you so much. For having me, caring for me and giving me everything I wanted. Without you, I would never have been so happy."

Agatha was watching from the back and tears were threatening to spill out of her eyes too. She came over as Daniel separated from his parents who were concerned at what they were hearing. She held his hand tightly as if never wanting to let go.

Daniel looked at her lovingly and said "What I said this morning is how I truly feel. No matter what, I'll love you forever, but Agatha, promise me one thing."

"Of course, Daniel, anything you ask" she replied while stroking his hair.

"Please find someone that makes you happy and live a great life, enough for the two of us, will you?" he stated while looking at her with a serious expression on his face.

"Stop talking like this. You're going to be fine Daniel. I've had enough of this talk of death" her anger was evident in her tone.

"Please, Agatha. Promise me you'll do this" he pleaded with her, almost as if begging her to make the promise.

"Fine. I promise." she finally gave in and gave him her word.

Ecstatic at her promise, he pulled her in for a kiss. As their lips met for the second time, Daniel felt nothing but contentment at that very moment. He wished he could stay in it forever, but alas, his time was up as he parted with Agatha.

"Take care, Agatha. I love you." he said with a tone of finality in his voice.

The man in black had teleported to his bedside as he had shared his kiss with Agatha. As Daniel settled back into bed, the man took his gloved hand and placed it on Daniel's chest. A feeling of coldness that pierced through to his bone invaded his body. He could feel his life draining through a hole in his chest. His breathing started to get shallower and he felt very tired suddenly.

Everyone in the room was alarmed at how quickly his condition took a turn for the worse. Panicking, his mother started yelling for help. Agatha went into nurse mode, trying to figure out what was happening so she could save him.

Even though he was slowly dying and how uncomfortable it was, he maintained a peaceful smile on his face and even with his troubled breathing, he spoke to comfort Agatha and his parents.

"It's okay. It's okay. It was meant to happen. Nothing can save me."

He was gulping down air now, his breathing ragged and unsteady. He was about to go any second now.

"Thank you...for being...here...I...love you...so...much" he struggled to get the words out as he felt a feeling of emptiness come over him.

Daniel breathed his last, with a content smile adorning his face. The man in black who stood over him took his hand off Daniel's chest and for a moment, felt pity for the young man.

He had been surprised when the boy had sensed him. Not many humans were talented enough to see him before the end. Countless had died at his hand without ever seeing his visage, but this child had not only seen him but had dared to ask him to wait. He was quite amused, so he had given him permission to live a little longer. After all, a minute longer wouldn't hurt anyone.

Looking down at the swirling, pulsating silver ball in his hand, he pondered on what to do with the boy's soul as he walked towards the corner from whence he came, melding into the darkness and disappearing.


	2. Meeting Death as an Equal

Darkness was all that surrounded Daniel when he woke up. His pitch-black surroundings seemed to stretch out endlessly. He felt like he had just woken up from a coma, well-rested and disoriented. Getting up from the ground, he noticed that it was not ground at all, but the surface of a black river. His jerky footsteps caused ripples to emanate from his bare feet.

He started to get flashes, they started with his earliest memories all up until the moment of his death. Sighing, he realized that what he was experiencing was neither a dream nor an illusion. He had really died. He felt like crying but realized that he couldn't. Looking down at his hands, he noticed that they were glowing silver and that his whole body seemed ethereal. Wisps of silver were evaporating into the air all around him as they rose from his body.

Stunned by what he was seeing, he decided to look around a little bit more and really experience death in its entirety. After all, it's not every day that you could die and come to this place. Just as he was about to start walking, he heard a small chuckle come from behind him. Turning around, he saw the man in black again, this time standing with his hands in his pockets. Daniel felt a little stunned as he saw him. If he already died, why was he seeing this man again?

Throughout his life, Daniel had not been particularly religious, but he felt some form of comfort in imagining an amazing afterlife. He was sure that he wouldn't go to Hell if it existed, but the idea of Heaven was tantalizing. A place where everything is amazing and there was no sickness or pain or any of the things he had experienced throughout his brief life. If anything, he considered himself Agnostic because while he might not subscribe to any single religion, he had seen some miracles first hand that couldn't be explained through science.

The idea of an omnipotent being that created and maintained the universe was something that seemed laughable. If there was indeed such a being, where was he when Daniel was praying so desperately to get better? Why would his great plan make Daniel go through such agonizing torture for his entire life? These questions were difficult to answer and did foster some resentment from Daniel towards this supposed Creator.

It wasn't until much later on in his life that Daniel came to peace with the fact that his time would end early. No matter how many times he cried at the unfairness of it all, nothing would change. The world would keep on going without him. His parents and Agatha would live their lives after his passing. Though his death would cause them sadness, he was confident that they could weather the storm and come out stronger than ever.

Right now, the only thing that was worrying him was the man standing before him. If he was right, then this person was Death. The very being in charge of escorting his soul to its final resting place. Daniel was a little scared to talk to him, after all, the man before him could be considered a god. Looking at Death himself in the eyes was something that he was really nervous about. Even though he had done so in the hospital, at that time, his stubbornness and love for his precious people had gotten the better of him. He was able to stare Death down fearlessly because he had wanted to say goodbye, more than anything else in the world at that moment. Now, he was all alone, left with nothing but his thoughts. Alone, with Death standing in front of him.

The golden eyes of Death looked eerie as they lit up his dark surroundings. Hesitating a little before talking, Daniel finally spoke. "Hi, are you Death?"

The amusement in the man's eyes was all the more pronounced after Daniel asked the question. "Yes, Daniel. Since time immemorial, I have held many names, but ultimately I am simply called Death. I'm sure you're wondering why I brought you here."

Daniel really didn't know how to feel at that moment. It was one thing to assume that the man was Death. It was a completely different thing to hear it from the man himself. Trying to calm himself down, Daniel decided to continue the conversation. "Yes, Mr. Death. I really want to know where I am and why I'm here."

Death looked on with interest. Not many mortals could wake up in his realm and maintain their calm. Only the most exceptional and talented people could even enter his realm and converse with him personally. Typically, he would hand souls off to his assistants, who would then either lead them to paradise or the cycle of reincarnation as necessary. The truly powerful souls, either through their purity or amount of energy were all transported by him to his personal realm. The reason he did so, was to give them a choice.

Most souls were not given any choice after collection. That was mainly because their destiny was already set, whether that be a place in paradise, reincarnation or the underworld. The only ones who were offered a choice were the souls that could break free from their set destiny. Despite most thinking that destiny was all-powerful and unavoidable, there were several cases of individuals breaking free and forging their own path. These individuals all had souls of an exceptional caliber. It was for this reason that Death had brought Daniel here.

"Only those with an exceptionally powerful soul can enter this plane, Daniel. A soul such as yours, for example" he replied warmly and gently, unbefitting of a being that was the personification of Death.

This was something that surprised Daniel as he had read about souls and the power they held. References were all over texts from every religion in the world. Souls held a special place in the hearts of humans. It was something that was often romanticized and given great importance as they allowed humans to transcend their limitations. However, it was limited to just that, an idea. Finding out that they were a real construct was shocking, to say the least.

Death continued "As for why you are here, well, it's because you have an important choice to make. Your decision will have significant consequences, so choose carefully. All you have to do is answer a single yes or no question: Do you wish to be reincarnated?"

Daniel was surprised at how easy the questions seemed but vigilant about how he wanted to answer. Death had just warned him that his decision could have consequences, but had not mentioned what they were. Taking a moment to get his thoughts in order, he decided on a course of action: Determine what reincarnation entails and find out as much information as he could about what would happen if he chose either option.

"Wow. That's a really tough question, Mr. Death. I was just wondering though, you never mentioned that I couldn't ask you anything about reincarnation. So I want to ask, what exactly does reincarnation mean for me? Will it truly be a new life? Can I choose where I go? Will my life be the same as it was on Earth? If I say no, then what happens?" Daniel started asking his questions in rapid succession.

Death seemed pleased at his seriousness. Although not many had even been given such a choice, even fewer had asked him questions to help them make their decision. There was a reason why he had not specifically prevented them from asking him questions and that's because he wanted to counsel them in their decision. For too long, the souls that had been invited into his realm made the mistake of choosing reincarnation instantly. They foolishly grabbed onto the option that allowed them another chance at life without proper consideration. It annoyed him to no end to see their regret and fear of the afterlife eventually lead them down twisted paths all in a vain effort to delay the inevitable. Such being the case, it was refreshing to see one who took his words at face value and was prudent enough to ask him for more information.

"Those are all great questions, Daniel. To answer your first question, reincarnation will mean exactly what you think it means, a chance at a new life. Your idea and thoughts about reincarnation are correct in that you will be able to experience and live a completely different life from what you had previously. Secondly, your next life will truly be one which you will start anew. Thirdly, no, you may not choose where you go. However, that doesn't mean that you can't give me a suggestion. Whether I choose to follow it or not is beyond your control, but do tell me if you have any ideas. Fourthly, it will be decided once you make your choice. For your final question, the answer is simple: You will go to paradise, where you can enjoy eternal happiness and satisfaction. So, knowing this, what do you choose?"

The answers were what Daniel expected. They seemed to be in line with what the people of Earth had hypothesized as the meaning of reincarnation. Still, he felt nervous about some aspects of another life so he asked: "Will I still be human in my next life?" It was the one thing worrying him the most. He did not want to end up as an animal, as the animal kingdom was a brutal place to exist in. After what he had been through, the thought of constantly fearing for his life and maybe losing his freedom to become a pet made him hesitate.

Death laughed as if he had heard a funny joke. His laugh was hearty and loud, reverberating off the surroundings. "I find it quite amusing that none of those who have come before you thought to ask me that. A simple question, yet one with profound implications. I guess there is indeed a first time for everything. Don't worry dear boy, you will still very much be human, but keep in mind the possibility that you might be more than just that."

'More than human?' was the first question to come to Daniel's mind. Nonetheless, he was relieved that he would still be a human. Daniel started contemplating his choice. He was feeling really conflicted by the information Death had given him. A part of him was ecstatic at the thought of exploring a world that wasn't his own. He wanted to experience all the things that he couldn't in his previous life and really have a life worth living. On the other hand, the temptation of paradise was unignorable. I mean, it was literally paradise! A place with nothing but happiness and satisfaction by definition. He would never have to worry about anything ever again and just be happy. After a lifetime racked with sickness and pain, there was a part of him that became jaded and cynical to the world. The thought of enjoying all that paradise had to offer was an attractive option. Why bother with the struggles of another life when he could sit back and relax?

As he was struggling with his decision, he realized he was missing something. The last piece of the puzzle that he needed to make his decision. Looking up at Death with a determined look, he decided to ask: "I just need to know one last thing to make my decision. How are my parents and Agatha?"

Death was ready for his question. It was one of the most common ones asked by those who had come here. The surrounding darkness gathered in front of him, transmogrifying into the shape of a book. Death snapped his fingers, and the book opened up and started turning pages. A few moments later, it stopped. Death read through the entry and then snapped his fingers a second time after which book started turning again. After it stopped, he read through the entry and after he was finished, the book disappeared back into the darkness.

Before giving him the answer, Death felt it obligatory to warn him. "Daniel, are you sure you want to know? You may not like what you hear."

Daniel steeled himself and simply said, "Yes, I wish to know."

Acknowledging his resoluteness, Death started speaking. "Your parents were heartbroken at your passing and it caused a strain on their relationship. Eventually, they worked through it and decided to dedicate their lives to helping others through charity and funding medical research. Their efforts would pay off as they funded the research that ultimately cured one of the diseases you suffered from. This helped hundreds of thousands of people. They went on to live well into their old age, passing away peacefully together in their sleep. They were both scheduled to go to paradise, so they did. As for Agatha, she was devastated at losing you, and took many years to recover from it. She eventually found a partner and started a family. They had 3 daughters and 1 son. She named him Daniel, after you. With the encouragement of her husband, she went back to school and became a doctor. She started researching one of the diseases that you were affected by and eventually found a cure, the one your parents funded. After discovering the cure, she went on to win a Nobel Peace Prize and retired to live the rest of her life with her family. She passed while being surrounded by her loved ones, satisfied with all the good she had done. Her soul was also scheduled to go to paradise, thus she was sent there." After he was finished, Death stayed silent.

"Wait. You're talking in the past tense. All this has already happened? Didn't I just die?" Daniel was confused about how Death had described the lives of his loved ones. With a small smirk, Death answered his question. "Come now, Daniel. Did I not tell you where you were? This is my personal realm. To a being like me, time is inconsequential. So long as life in any form exists, I will be there too. To you, it might seem like a few moments, but the years have trickled by like the grains of sand in an hourglass. You need not worry, as time will not affect you so long as you're here. However, I would recommend you make your choice soon, seeing as you can't stay here indefinitely."

It was a lot to process for Daniel. Sadness overwhelmed him as he thought about his parents. How much they must have suffered emotionally after he was gone. It tore him apart to think of how they might have felt, but he was happy that they had been taken to paradise. Agatha was a different case. Sure, he had made her promise to move on, but actually hearing about her life brought on an amalgam of conflicting emotions. A feeling of envy and anger that another man had taken his place, coupled with a feeling of self-loathing for being so selfish. Ultimately, knowing that she lived a good life and went to paradise was all Daniel needed to hear to feel satisfied. As he sorted through his emotions, the final piece clicked into place. He had made his decision.

"Thank you for telling me, Mr. Death. I feel happy that their lives turned out alright after I left. I think I know what I want to choose. I want to reincarnate. If you're serious about taking suggestions, I want to reincarnate into the world of Harry Potter. Is that possible?" Daniel asked.

Death gave a knowing smile as he confirmed "Is that truly your decision Daniel? Your suggestion will be considered, but know that once you confirm it, you cannot change it."

Daniel confidently replied "I know. I've decided to reincarnate."

"Very well then. Following your decision, I shall personally guide you into the cycle of reincarnation. As for your suggestion, I shall accept it. Consider it a reward for thinking through your choice and making me laugh after so many years. Know this, due to the power of your soul, you will get to keep your memories. Be warned though, the world that you experienced through those movies and books were limited in their scope. There were several things in that world that the author never went into. A whole history that was never mentioned in detail. The world you will experience will be far more vibrant and alive. It will have developed several unique aspects that you never heard of. Explore to your heart's content, Daniel. As I have accepted your suggestion, you will be going into the world with my blessing. It will prove quite useful to you on your adventure."

Daniel was delighted that Death had accepted his suggestion. 'I can't believe I'm gonna be in the Potterverse! This is gonna be amazing!' In the middle of his mental celebration, he suddenly stopped. 'Wait, just because I'm going to the world doesn't mean I know when I'm going to be born! Oh my god, oh my god, what have I done?! If I end up being born hundreds of years before the story starts, then what if I die before meeting Harry and the gang?! Damn, maybe I should have thought about it a little more. Wait a minute, Death's still here! Maybe I can ask him.'

"Uh, Mr. Death? I have one last question. I promise it's the last one."

Death tilted his head slightly. 'My what a curious one'. "Alright, Daniel. Ask away."

"When exactly will I be born? The events of Harry Potter don't take place until a certain time. I kinda want to be there with him and help him in his fight against Voldemort."

Death was amused by Daniel's worry and chuckled lightly. He replied "Quite the ambition there Daniel. Harry, in the book and film, did not live a good life. His trials and tribulations were things of horror. A crucible that forged him into a martyr. His life, despite being a hero, was one filled with death. Are you absolutely sure that you want to be involved with him? You could choose to ignore the events altogether and be born in a time that will allow you to grow up safely and discover the world. No threats of death or destruction to ever worry about."

Death's statement gave Daniel pause. His previous excitement forgotten. 'He's right. Voldemort was one of the worst Dark Lords in history. All those people that cared about Harry died at the hands of his followers and himself. Do I really want to live through that chaos?' It was one thing to see a movie and read a book. Living in the world of his dreams was a different ballgame altogether. Daniel knew instinctively that there was no second chance after this one. If he was born in a time of war, he could easily die and never get to explore and live the life he wanted to. 'What a waste that would be.' It was probably his worst nightmare, to be able to experience a new world only for that freedom to be ripped from him by the cold embrace of Death.

At the same time, his sense of honor and companionship towards Harry flared up. Reading about the child who grew up trapped in his relative's home only to be whisked away to a new world of wonder was something that deeply affected Daniel. In his previous life, all he had was pain and misery. He couldn't count the number of times he had wished Hagrid would visit his hospital room and bring him to a new fantastical world where anything was possible.

The idea of magic intrigued him and brought about a child-like sense of wonder that he had lacked due to his unique circumstances. His desperation for experiencing it, no matter how brief a period, overpowered his sense of self-preservation. 'I'm gonna have magic, and I will use it goddamn it. Even if it kills me, I want to feel it, just once.' He straightened his back, puffed out his chest and looked Death in the eye as he spoke. "I want to help him, Mr. Death. Even if I get hurt or killed, I want to help him become the greatest wizard ever. Magic is something that I could only dream of experiencing in my previous life, so this is an opportunity I can't pass up. I know it'll be dangerous, but I won't have any regrets. So please, let me help Harry and his friends."

It was a truly impassioned plea that had left Daniel's mouth. 'No wonder he chose to become a doctor. Such pure intentions would have helped him quite a lot should he have graduated.' He replied "Don't worry Daniel, you have my word that you will able to experience the world and participate in the adventures you have read about in your novels and seen in your movies. Who knows, maybe you will go on to discover things that weren't mentioned and write your own story."

With his remaining doubts assuaged, Daniel prepared himself for reincarnation. He started to limber up, doing some lunges while stretching his arms. Then he realized, he was a soul, a fat lot of good stretching will do in the face of mystical concepts like reincarnation. Laughing at himself, he said "Thank you for giving me this choice Mr. Death and answering all my questions. It was a pleasure talking to you. I think I'm ready to go on my way."

Death was also pleased with Daniel. It had been a long time since he had conversed with a soul. He too felt the sting of boredom and loneliness on occasion. Walking forward to Daniel, he put his hand on Daniel's shoulder. Shortly after, they sunk into the liquid black darkness below them.

After a moment of uncomfortableness, Daniel saw a light in the distance. It seemed to be getting closer as Death gripped his shoulder, pulling him forward. They passed through the light and what he saw was something he would never forget. A bustling city underneath his feel filled with creatures of all shapes and sizes running around. They descended onto a central platform and immediately, the spirits that looked like guards dropped to a kneeling position and bowed their heads. Together, they intoned "Greetings, Master Death."

Death acknowledged their greeting with a brief hum. With his hand still on Daniel's shoulder, he brought Daniel together with him as they walked down the street, looking like a pair of old friends. Many of the spirits looked surprised at this sight and made way for Death and Daniel as they proceeded down the crowded street.

After walking for a couple of minutes, they arrived at an old dilapidated building that looked out of place among its resplendent neighboring structures. Entering the building, Death called for an attendant. One quickly approached them and greeted Death with reverence. Death spoke, "We have come to use the Veil of Reincarnation." The attendant's eyes widened. The gateway hadn't been used for hundreds of years, yet for whatever reason, Master Death himself came and requested it today? For the soul next to him? The attendant curiously looked at Daniel as he tried to see what exactly was so special about him. After a brief moment, the attendant looked at Death and bowed, saying "Master Death, please allow me to lead you and your guest to the gateway."

Satisfied, Death nodded and indicated Daniel to follow him. They walked for almost 10 minutes down a long hallway, seemingly with no end in sight. Turning, the attendant signaled to one of the doors and said "In this room, lies the Veil of Reincarnation. It has been fully charged and is ready to transport your guest's soul to his new life."

Entering the room, Daniel saw a small set of stairs that led to a stone archway. Underneath the arch was a black cloth that seemed to float on its own. The surface occasionally rippled but looked like

Looking nervously at Death he asked "Is this it? Do I just walk through here?"

Death responded "Yes, Daniel. That's all you have to do to begin your reincarnation. Walk on through the veil."

Slightly hyperventilating, Daniel stared at the black cloth in the center. "As easy as walking through huh? Well, here goes nothing." After he spoke, Daniel started to walk towards the center of the gate. As he reached the threshold, he turned around and addressed Death. "See you around Mr. Death. Hopefully not too soon. I really want to enjoy the Potterverse for as long as I can." all the while giving him a cheeky smile as he delivered his last words.

"Good luck, Daniel. I hope you find my blessing useful and live the life you always wanted." Death said sincerely. Daniel nodded as he closed his eyes, spread his arms wide, leaned backward and fell through the veil. It rippled wildly as Daniel's silvery form passed through and then calmed down immediately after. Death had a small smile on his face as he turned around and left, leaving the bewildered attendant.

'The human got the blessing of Master Death?!' The words that were spoken by Master Death just registered in his head and he immediately scrambled to follow him. He approached Death with reverence and asked: "Pardon me, Master Death, but did you really give your personal blessing to the soul that was just reincarnated." Death answered "Yes, I did indeed give my blessing to him. It has been a long time since I've talked to someone so talented and pure. He was different from the few I had previously given the choice to, so I rewarded him accordingly. I wonder how that will affect his fate. It will be quite entertaining, to say the least." His smile grew slightly more pronounced for a brief moment before his expression returned to neutral. The attendant realized from this that the conversation was over and dutifully guided Death back to the entrance and saw him off.

He would lie down later in the day and ponder on the words of Death. 'That soul seems to have earned his friendship. Quite a difficult thing to do, especially for one so young. I hope he lives up to Master Death's expectations, otherwise, it would be quite the waste of spiritual energy.' The veil took up enough to not be able to be used for another century at least. Suffice to say, Death would be alone for quite some time.


	3. Potters in Peril

It was a pleasant summer day in London. The sun shone brightly. The song of birds and laughter of children ringing out amongst the silence. Nestled in between two houses in a quaint cul-de-sac known as Grimmauld Place, stood a house painted a deep black. It looked out of place among the colorful walls of the neighboring houses, but nobody seemed to notice. The neighbors had never met the occupants of the house, as every time they tried to approach it, they remembered something important. Unknown to them, this was the effect of a powerful Muggle-Repelling ward. The house in question was known as 12 Grimmauld Place, the ancestral home of the Black family.

Despite the joyful atmosphere beyond its walls, the air was thick with tension. Inside the study, two men sat facing each other. On one side sat a regal-looking man with salt and pepper hair and steely grey eyes. He was dressed in a luxurious silk cloak that reflected his wealth and status and twisted a sleek black walking stick in his hands as he stared at the man opposite him. The cane was made of dark ebony and was topped with a silver raven with rubies for eyes as a handle. His face was adorned with a scowl that accentuated the age lines on his face.

Sitting across from him was a man with fully grey hair and soft brown eyes. He was dressed in a Muggle business suit that wouldn't look out of place in the Financial District. It was a light charcoal 3-piece suit with thin blue pinstripes. A sky-blue linen dress shirt and a dark navy tie in a Windsor knot gave a sense of tradition. The outfit was completed with a pair of tan whole cut oxfords with an elegant chisel toe. The entire outfit gave a bespoke vibe that told of the man's wealth and influence. It was an odd juxtaposition between Victorian and modern fashion that was on display in the study.

Arcturus Sirius Black III sighed as reached for the glass of whiskey on the table beside him. He slowly sipped the dark golden liquid and let the taste slowly wash over his taste buds. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the smoky taste that left a pleasant caramel aftertaste. "Say what you want about Muggles, but they sure know how to make excellent whiskey. I remember wanting something different than Ogden's and it was Sirius of all people that gave me the bottle. At the time, I nearly hexed the boy into next week for giving me Muggle-made alcohol. After a taste, my opinion was changed. Feel free to drink as much as you want Charlus, as Merlin knows we're going to need plenty of it to get through this talk."

Charlus Henry Potter sighed as he mimicked Arcturus' actions. The whiskey was indeed pleasant and smooth, but he was not about to admit to having collected better ones. Arcturus would then hold all their meetings at Potter Manor to raid his liquor cabinet. "Arcturus, this is a serious problem. These attacks are getting out of hand. Just the other day, Dorea and I were strolling through Diagon Alley when those bastards came. They were wearing black robes and cloaks with hoods along with white masks that resembled skulls. They threw dark curses and Unforgivables around like candy. 3 businesses were torched, and several people injured or dead. I honestly think that it has come time for the Old Guard to step in."

Arcturus kept his gaze on his whiskey as he contemplated Charlus' words. The fact that Dorea was among the injured in the attack had incensed him. 'When I find out who these jokers are, I'm going to enjoy breaking them.' He looked up and spoke. "Needless to say, Charlus, I will find out who participated in the attack and educate them on what it means to strike a member of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Black. How is Dorea doing by the way?"

Charlus sighed as he ran his hand through his hair. "Dorea is fine. She was in shock for a little while afterward but quickly collected herself. She ignored her injuries and started to triage and treat the casualties before the Auror's started arriving. I wanted to take her to St. Mungos immediately, but she wasn't having it. You know how she can be when she goes into nurse-mode." Arcturus gave a light chuckle as he recalled his sister. She was a stubborn and headstrong mediwitch and Merlin help anyone who prevented her from treating her patients. "It was a good thing she fought me. It was only later that the healers told us that her emergency care saved the lives of almost all the patients. Some of them were too far gone, but sadly, that tends to happen in war."

Arcturus' eyebrows rose slightly as he regarded Charlus' last statement. "War, my friend? We fought in an actual war; this is nothing but simple terrorism. At the very least, the tactics used by these shameless 'Death Eater' whelps don't speak of any overarching goal. They probably get their jollies by hurting others and when the Aurors catch them, they'll be sent on a nice little one-way cruise to Azkaban." Charlus glared at his drinking buddy, his eyes hardening at the memories of battle. Arcturus and himself had distinguished themselves on the frontlines against Grindelwald and his lieutenants.

The war had been a long and bloody one with massive casualties on both sides. Every day could have been their last, and it was only due to them working together that they survived. It had brought the Potters and Blacks closer than ever before and set the stage for Charlus' marriage to Dorea. At the time it was quite the controversy. The House of Black had a certain reputation as being staunchly Pureblood, and the thought of a daughter marrying a man from House Potter was inconceivable to many. Potters had been the voice of Muggleborns and had even had a history of marrying them every so often. Many in the Black family had been outraged that Dorea was marrying someone they considered to be a blood-traitor. Arcturus had silenced them by giving the marriage his blessing as Lord Black. Anyone still unsatisfied was told to take it up with Charlus, which no one ever did. Despite their opinions, every single member of the Black family knew how formidable Charlus Potter was. He was equal to, if not slightly stronger than Arcturus, who was an extremely skilled wizard in his own right.

Charlus had earned a reputation as a man who didn't tolerate nonsense and held firm to his beliefs. He didn't sugarcoat his opinions or hide his position, which gained him a lot of respect in the Wizengamot. Unlike most of the other Lords, he lived a modest, yet comfortable lifestyle. He never showed off his considerable wealth and maintained his family's privacy with dogged persistence. Not many knew anything significant about the Potters and their history. The family traditionally stood in the Grey faction but tended to lean towards and vote with the Light faction. At the same time, they also did not appreciate the Ministry of Magic's steady encroachment on their rights. They perched themselves on the fence between the Traditionalists and the Progressives. However, they did not at all tolerate the Pureblood faction that tried to pass bigoted laws to benefit their agenda.

Their stance had earned the family a lot of goodwill from both sides of the aisle and many were appreciative of Charlus' honor and integrity. Nevertheless, the family was reclusive and rarely forthcoming. Potter children were never announced grandly with parties and the like. They oftentimes just turned up on the Hogwarts Express and that was how other families learned of their existence. It was how the family had operated for years and it had been the same way with Charlus' only son James.

The only interaction that James had before attending Hogwarts was with his parents. As the couple's only son, he had been spoiled quite a bit and his behavior when he first arrived had been utterly abysmal. It wasn't until the attacks started ramping up in his 6th year that he finally started showing maturity. His maturing had attracted his long-time crush, Lily Evans and their relationship had blossomed from there onwards. They went on to become Head Boy and Girl, an achievement that filled Charlus with pride. Shortly after Hogwarts, they had married and Charlus had walked Lily down the aisle after her father had passed. He couldn't help but feel proud of his daughter-in-law. Despite being a muggleborn witch, she showed tremendous magical talent and respect towards the Old ways. Her intellect and voracious appetite for knowledge had endeared her to him and his wife. Dorea initially had some reservations of her only son marrying a muggleborn, but after meeting her prospective daughter-in-law, she had immediately given her blessing.

The marriage had attracted quite a few headlines as the match was controversial, to say the least. Charlus couldn't help but draw equivalence to his marriage and had helped keep any poisonous rhetoric to a minimum. Shortly after their honeymoon, the couple had returned to England and were given a little cottage in the village of Godric's Hollow as a wedding present from Charlus and Dorea. Lily had been offered a job with the Unspeakables and James had joined up with the Aurors. Charlus had reservations at the time and tried to persuade James against such a dangerous occupation, but James had been stubborn. He and his cousin Sirius had graduated from the Auror Academy together and were proving to be quite the team.

Their partnership reminded him of the one he shared with Arcturus. Although they had never been close at Hogwarts, their reputations had preceded them. Both of them knew of the other and during the war were forced to fight together on numerous occasions. They had found the synergy between them effective and had gone on to form the most feared Battle-mage duo in the entire war. Even Grindelwald himself had nearly fallen to them and spent the rest of the war avoiding engaging them again. Those on Grindelwald's side learned to never mess with the Potter-Black duo and avoided confronting them.

He had met Dorea after Arcturus had taken a particularly nasty Dark curse from one of Grindelwald's lieutenants. Despite him recommending Arcturus to stay in the ICW Field Hospital, he had chosen to Floo to one of the Black properties. It just so happened that Dorea Black had been staying there at the time. She had been instrumental in helping keep Arcturus alive while Charlus attempted to find a counter-curse from the extensive Black family library. Through their combined efforts, they were able to save him. Although not meeting under the best circumstances, they slowly fell in love. By the end of the war, Charlus was set to ask her to marry him. It had taken some time for Arcturus to warm up to the idea, but he eventually did and gave his blessing.

It had taken them many years of trying to realize that they might not be able to have children. Charlus somewhat blamed the war and how many Dark spells he had taken. It had been quite disheartening and was a weight on their minds. Just as they had finally decided to stop trying, Dorea had found that she was pregnant. To say that Charlus was happy was an understatement. He had immediately Floo'd over to Arcturus' house with the finest bottle of Ogden's in his collection and proceeded to get plastered with him. Arcturus had also been overjoyed that his friend was able to continue his family line. He had accepted immediately when Charlus asked him to be the child's godfather and couldn't wait for it to be born. James Charlus Potter was born eight months later and both Charlus and Arcturus spent the entire week celebrating.

Raising James had been a real endeavor for both Charlus and Dorea. With the Potters' ingrained sense of paranoia and privacy, they didn't visit with others and kept any news of James from getting out. He had grown up being lavished with gifts as the couple's only child and had shown himself to be magically gifted. After his first bout of accidental magic when he was 1, Charlus called in a favor with Arcturus to get his son's magical potential measured. The Department of Mysteries was the only organization in Britain that had the proper equipment to calculate a wizard's potential and all scores were kept secret. Every single Ancient family had their sons/daughters tested after their first bout of accidental magic. The results of the test were astonishing.

The Unspeakable in charge of testing had shown up at Potter Manor and was curt in his manner. The way he went about it, it was as if Charlus and Dorea were wasting his time. Despite being a little miffed at the treatment, they relented and hurried to get James tested. The Merlinian Scale was a system of measurement that was developed by the ICW to measure the magical potential of infants. The power scale was ranked from bottom to top: squib, wizard, warlock, sorcerer, grand sorcerer, magus, archmagus and finally, grand archmagus. Unit wise, anything less than 50 was a squib. 51-99 was a wizard, 100-139 was a warlock, 140-179 was a sorcerer, 180-199 was a grand sorcerer. The scales used by the Unspeakables had a limit of 200 as they did not have the equipment to properly measure anything above that level. Once an individual passed 200 on the Merlinian Scale, the difference between the ranks became convoluted and only the Mage Association knew the criteria for categorization. It was something they kept a closely guarded secret.

The test only showed potential, but it also depended on the child to grow into their power properly. In most cases, if a child applied themselves, they could find that their potential increased as they magically matured. However, even if they didn't, the latent power of their magic would ensure they still ranked in their category. The Unspeakable proceeded to take out the ruler and cast the revealing spell and was shocked by the results. The numbers kept climbing higher and higher until they stopped near 177. When they saw that number shining above James' head, all the adults in the room were gob smacked. Seeing such a number caused a profound shift in the Unspeakable's attitude as he profusely apologized for his previous conduct and congratulated Charlus and Dorea. James had the potential to be a sorcerer and possibly a grand sorcerer. Even if he didn't apply himself, he would easily be one of the most powerful wizards of his generation in Britain.

Both parents were ecstatic about the result but were advised by the Unspeakable to not tell anyone they didn't trust with their son's life. Even then, securing a Secrecy Oath was a must. With how important secrecy was to them, they both declared James' result a Potter family secret. The family magic worked its wonders and immediately protected the secret and locked it away in the Unspeakable's mind with no way to retrieve the information. He would not be able to talk about it at all and could only give a fake number that showed James to be slightly above average if ever asked. Needless to say, the Unspeakable was angry but understood their decision.

They treated James even better from then on and always encouraged him to expand his spell repertoire and exercise his magic. He turned out to be a notorious prankster, having a mischievous streak a mile wide. His gifts seemed to be centered in Transfiguration and he proved to be quite the prodigy. When he was attending Hogwarts, he and his gang, The Marauders, made copious use of his skills in transfiguring objects. Some of their pranks were legendary and James was the driving force behind most of them. It was an odd way to learn, but James ended up learning a lot and specializing in Transfiguration. His skills were recognized to the point that Minerva McGonagall, one of the premier Transfiguration Mistresses in Britain, offered him an apprenticeship. It was at that point the war had started to ramp up, and James decided he wanted to be on the front lines.

Now, Charlus found himself in a tough situation. James had approached him a few weeks ago and told him some worrying information. A prophecy was made about a child that would be born near the end of July who had the power to destroy the Dark Lord. Albus had heard this prophecy, but so had a terrorist spy. The spy went on to tell the leader of the terrorist group known as the Death Eaters, Lord Voldemort. Normally, this wouldn't bother Charlus in the least, as he never really paid stock to divination and prophecies. The problem was that Lily was expecting his grandson around that time. With the attacks escalating and the death toll rising, he wouldn't put it past Voldemort to target his son's family. It also didn't help that James had been fighting against these jokers for a while in his capacity as an Auror. He and Sirius were well-known to them and found themselves targeted for killing numerous dark wizards. This was exactly the kind of situation he wanted to avoid, but Fate wasn't going to allow his family reprieve. He just had to make the best out of a bad situation.

It was why he found himself asking for Arcturus' aid. The Black family was mired in secrecy and nobody knew just how many properties they had. If he could just convince James and Lily to leave the country and stay under Fidelius at one of these properties, all would be well. The problem was the Ministry was compromised, beyond any reasonable doubt. International portkeys would be heavily scrutinized, and he did not want to leave breadcrumbs to follow. He was certain that the Black family had covert, slightly less than legal methods to travel out of the country. The only problem he was facing now was convincing his pigheaded son to go through with the plan.

When he had brought the possibility up with James, it had devolved into a shouting match. James had all but accused him of being a coward and that had set him off. The furious shouting match that ensued was the biggest row they had ever had. He told his son in no fewer words that he would fight to the death to protect them, but only if they were safe. James had refused, mentioning that Dumbledore had the idea to put their cottage under the Fidelius charm. Charlus had countered with agreeing to let them stay in the country, but only behind the ancient wards of Potter Manor. James again refused to listen to him and assured him that all would be well. He would choose Sirius as his Secret-Keeper and all would be well. The plan was so slapdash that it made him question whether his son and his family would survive.

"Arcturus, your godson, and grandson have gone and involved himself with Dumbledore's vigilante group. I heard through the grapevine that they've been responding to Death Eater attacks and fighting against them. I thought my son would realize how unsafe it is and listen to me, but he's gone and convinced his pregnant wife to fight with him. They go around throwing stunners and body-binds when the enemy is casting Unforgivables at them. Dumbledore is advocating non-violent tactics against these scumbags that target women and children. One day, they are going to lose, and I sincerely hope that it doesn't cost them their lives or my grandson."

Arcturus slowly leaned forward and picked up the bottle of Glenmorangie. He uncorked it and poured them both another 3 fingers. Whenever Charlus started his ranting, he tended to need a drink to settle down. Goodness knows he wasn't happy with his grandson, Sirius. The boy had the most potential among all the Blacks to succeed him as Lord Black. His father, Orion was a henpecked coward who couldn't stand up to his demented hag of a wife, Walburga. Merlin knows how he begot such a limp-wristed pansy for a son, but that's how things turned out. If anything, he also wanted Sirius to join James and Lily when they went into hiding. The war had created a schism in the Black family, especially when most of his brother's children were Death Eaters, or sympathetic to the cause. The time for him to intervene had been drawing closer with each successive newspaper article about the latest actions of the Death Eaters. The recent attack on Dorea was the final straw. If any of his family foolishly thought a Black would bow to any lord, Light or Dark, they had another thing coming. It was time for a Black Family Meeting. With that in mind, he sipped his whiskey and started to plan their next move with Charlus.


	4. The Boy Who Didn't Exist

As he fell through the veil, Daniel was conflicted. The excitement of an adventure in the Potterverse was right in front of him. At the same time, he forgot all about it. The reason being that he was in a lot of pain. The moment his soul had touched the veil, a searing pain had overtaken him. The pain had become exponentially worse when the rest of his soul had joined him. It was a never-ending cycle of pain occurring in waves.

In the darkness, Daniel realized that he had no idea where he was going. He thought he had finally made it into the world of Harry Potter, but every time he opened his eyes, he was disappointed. All that greeted him was the dark void that stretched out in front of him. The wisps of silver rising from his body was similar to what he had seen in death's realm.

'Come on, damn it! Don't give up now, no matter how much pain I'm in. I'm gonna get to go to the world of Harry Potter!' Daniel mentally screamed. He was doing his best to not let the pain get to him. 'Alright. Focus, Daniel! You need to keep your mind focused and protected. Work through the pain. Ignore and override. It's no big deal. You've been through much worse, so you can get through this.'

Daniel started to think about his parents and Agatha. The love he had for them was immeasurable. The feelings they invoked in his soul was something that Daniel couldn't describe. It was as if just remembering the love they shared strengthened his soul and bolstered his will.

He remembered the first time he had met Agatha. She had just graduated from college and he had just started his online program. When she had reported to the hospital for her first day, the tension was palpable. He saw how nervous she was the entire time, afraid to mess things up. Their first meeting had been quite comical. Agatha had come in his room to give him his lunch and had tripped over the power cord of his laptop. The tray had come flying towards him and all the food had spilled onto his clothes and bed. The funniest part had been the Jell-O, his favorite dessert, had decorated his hair with orange blobs.

After the initial shock had worn off, he had started laughing. It had started with a light chuckle, escalating into full-blown laughter. She had looked at him weirdly, wondering why he was laughing after being covered in his lunch. The senior nurses had rushed in immediately and started chastising Agatha for not being careful. They had stopped after looking at him laughing like a madman while covered in Jell-O.

They getting worried after a couple of minutes of non-stop laughter. Daniel also couldn't tell why he was laughing the way he was. All he knew was that he had found something really funny about it and couldn't stop. It took a good 10 minutes for him to calm down before addressing Agatha. "Thanks for that. I haven't laughed that much in a long time. Are you new here?"

"Yes, my name's Agatha. I just joined the hospital today. Um...I'm sorry for spilling the food on you. Please forgive me." She responded nervously with bright pink cheeks as she looked down, avoiding Daniel's gaze.

With a mischievous smile, Daniel said "First day and you splatter a patient with their lunch huh? I can't wait until it's your second day. Then I'll get to see something even more fun. I'm Daniel, by the way."

During their introduction, the head nurse had walked in with a cloth to wipe down Daniel. Seeing Agatha's embarrassment, she smiled a devilish smile and walked towards her. She handed Agatha the towel while saying "You messed up Daniel, so it's your job to clean him up. Besides, you two should probably get to know each other better. You're gonna be seeing a lot of each other in the foreseeable future." Smiling, she walked out without a care in the world, leaving a dumbfounded Daniel and stuttering Agatha.

Looking down at the wet towel in her hand, Agatha had an idea of what she was supposed to do, but seeing the handsome boy in front of her, she started panicking. 'Come on! You were trained for this. This is what you wanted to do, right?! You made the mess, so you clean it up. It's only fair.'

With determination, she walked towards Daniel's bedside and without hesitation asked him to take off his shirt. Daniel was a little bewildered at how quickly she had gone from the stuttering, embarrassed new girl to the nurse in front of him. Looking her dead in the eyes, Daniel decided to mess with her for a bit.

"Shouldn't you at least take me to dinner first? The clothes usually come off after that part" he replied while smirking at her.

Agatha, however, was having none of it. She looked at him with a dour look and spoke in a commanding tone. "Take your shirt off Daniel, or else I'll leave you like this for the rest of the night."

Daniel heard the command and pondered for a beat before ultimately choosing to comply. Right now, he was starting to feel uncomfortable and wouldn't be surprised if Agatha followed through on her threat. Giving her a mock salute and a "Yes, Ma'am", he grabbed the bottom of his shirt and pulled up, revealing his smooth, silky white skin in the process.

Despite the commanding tone she had spoken with, Agatha was panicking on the inside. It was the first time she had to do something like this. The fact that the young man in front of her looked like he belonged on a cover of GQ wasn't helping either. She always had been a little awkward, especially in front of attractive guys. It was the reason why her love life was practically non-existent. The long hours and lack of social life had led to her becoming slightly isolated, this compounded with her innate introverted personality made finding a boyfriend hard.

Seeing the handsome boy in front of her got her thinking about things she would much rather not think about when on the job. She just couldn't help it though. That milky smooth skin and slim build was a real feast for the eyes.

A small comment from Daniel broke her out of her reverie. "You gonna use that towel any time soon, or are you just gonna stare at me all day?"

Disappointment flashed through Agatha's eyes. How could she think about such things while with a patient?! It wasn't ethical by any means and could get her fired. Taking a deep breath and calming down, she started wiping off the numerous food stains on Daniel's upper body. While wiping him down, she did her level best to disregard Daniel's gaze. Finishing up, they both looked at each other awkwardly for a couple of seconds before giggling. After they finally stopped, they stared at each other while smiling brightly. Daniel chose to break the silence.

"Thank you, Agatha. I hope that I see you tomorrow. By the way, congratulations on your first day" he had said while flashing his trademark grin at her. She had responded in kind.

"Your welcome Daniel. Thank you. We'll see each other again real soon" she spoke while winking at him. She walked out the door and Daniel had followed her out with his eyes. Lying down, he thought 'Wow, she was really pretty. I hope I see her again.'

Daniel's mind was jolted from his trip down memory lane when he felt a squeezing sensation. Taking a look at his surroundings, he felt the darkness warping around him. He felt his speed slightly increase. At least, it felt like it had, as the pain was making it hard to tell what was what anymore. It was taking all he had to maintain his sanity. It was at this moment that he saw a small, pinprick of light in the distance. A figurative light at the end of the long void tunnel.

'I'm nearly there! That must be the exit! Just a little bit longer and I'll make it. Gotta keep pushing!' Daniel was encouraging himself as much as he could. The pain that he had gotten used to by now, abruptly spiked. Daniel wasn't ready for how much it hurt and the surrounding darkness slowly started to corrupt his soul. Thoughts of giving up and letting everything go started to pound in his head.

Ignoring them as best he could, Daniel forged ahead like a madman with an obsessive, singular goal: the light in the distance. As he got closer, the agony increased. The surroundings which were previously spacious started tightening around him. The discomfort was immense and Daniel felt like he was getting crushed to death. With a final, inhumane burst of willpower, Daniel screamed as he rushed through them into the light.

It was blinding. He closed his eyes and tried to process what was happening. He could hear voices, talking in concert with each other. Bits and flashes of light leaked through the corner of his eyes as he struggled to open them. Varying emotions overwhelmed his mind as he tried to figure out where he was. He felt something soft wrapping around him, constricting his body and making movement impossible.

'What the hell is going on? Why can't I move? Why can't I see? Goddamn it! I suffered through all that pain for this?!' He cried out as he tried to move his body, only to hear a loud wail resembling that of a newborn. 'Why am I hearing a baby?' Confused at what he was hearing, he decided to calm down and try to see if his eyes were working. The wailing stopped as he slowly opened his eyes. The lights were bright and harsh, making it impossible to see anything other than gargantuan shadows speaking while grasping him. He was handed off to another giant person who seemed to be female.

His color vision wasn't quite there yet, but as he was looking at the giant woman's face, he saw her lustrous auburn hair and sparkling green eyes slowly fade into color. Her forehead was matted with sweat with a few stray locks of hair stuck to it. Her gaze was filled with tenderness and love that confused him as he looked back at her. 'Who is she? Why's she looking at me like that?' As he kept holding her gaze, he saw the face of his previous mother overlap with the lady's face and then disappear, as if a figment of his imagination.

That's when it dawned on him. His thoughts accelerated as he finally understood what was happening. He has been reborn... literally. The woman in front of him was most likely his mother, but she seemed to be holding something else. As he struggled to turn his head, he finally saw what it was. Another baby. She was holding another baby in her other arm. It seemed to be asleep as it wasn't moving at all.

There was something odd about this situation. He had asked to be reincarnated in the Harry Potter Universe and there was only one prominently featured character with brown hair and green eyes: Lily Evans. This means that the woman carrying him is Lily Evans and that would mean that the other little bundle she's carrying was the titular main character of the series, Harry Potter.

'Wait. If my mother is Lily Evans and that's Harry Potter... Who am I?' This revelation shocked Daniel to the core. He was a character that was never supposed to exist! Harry Potter should have been an only child and yet, there he was, his existence changing the entire story from the start.

Daniel started getting tired as all these thoughts were taxing his little brain. 'What do I do now?' he worried as he drifted off into a deep sleep.


	5. Ripples in the Pond

The prophecy. The word tasted like bile on Lily Potter's tongue. She had never been a big believer in the field of Divination. As one of her most beloved professor's opinion on the subject was that it "was a wooly field at best". Of course, she knew about the existence of Seers and True Seers. Her insatiable curiosity guided her to learn about them despite being certain that she did not have the Sight. It was fascinating coming from a Muggle background as mythology had been rife with seers and soothsayers. As a literary buff, she had read about plenty from the numerous works of Shakespeare and other classical literature.

When confronted with the idea that magic allowed a select few men and women to view the future, it blew her mind. However, upon meeting Hogwart's new Divination professor Sybil Patricia Trelawney, she had numerous reservations. The fact that Trelawney had shown up completely sozzled to their meeting didn't give her any confidence. When Albus had come to her and James with the prophecy, she had been really worried. She thought back to their meeting in his office and shuddered.

The day had started like any other day, replete with morning sickness and overall hormonal chaos. James had been such a loving and caring husband from the moment they had found out she was pregnant. Whenever she had a craving at any random time, James had voluntarily gone out to get whatever it was she wanted. She honestly felt bad sometimes for putting such a burden on him after he had come home from his Auror duties. He had taken it in stride and told her not to worry. He had to take the responsibility to start caring for the future Potter inside her. Merlin knows that his father would throw a fit if he complained.

From the moment they had told Charlus and Dorea, they were ecstatic to meet their grandchild. Charlus had sat James down and told him if he couldn't care for his pregnant wife, he had no business taking care of a child. He had been informed that from the moment his wife had confirmed her pregnancy, he was already a father and would act as such. It was a lesson James had taken to heart. No matter how stressful his day was, he would always make time for Lily and her needs. She was holding the future of the Most Ancient and Noble House of Potter within her. It was his duty as the Heir Potter to make sure that his child was born healthy and happy.

The difficulty of this task mainly stemmed from his job. Ever since he was a young boy, he had grown up with stories of his father, the great Lord Charlus Henry Potter. He had been one of the top students of his graduating year at Hogwarts and one of the most magically powerful individuals in his generation. His father, Henry Potter had been a kind but strict man that always expected Charlus to exceed expectations. His father had been a political powerhouse that had drawn the attention of an aspiring Dark Lord named Gellert Grindelwald. Grindelwald had come to try and convince Henry to side with him but had met staunch refusal. The House of Potter had a long and storied history of not bowing to the whims of tyrants. As a man with little honor, Grindelwald had cursed Henry Potter while his back was turned and effectively killed him with an incurable dark curse.

Incensed by the cowardly actions of Grindelwald, Charlus Potter had dropped out of his final year at Hogwarts to fight on the front lines against Grindelwald's forces. To that end, he had responded to a recruitment pamphlet from the ICW asking for Hit-Wizards. The Ministries in other European nations had pleaded with Britain to send help. All they had gotten in return was refusal along with the best wishes of the British Ministry of Magic. With Grindelwald's followers chipping away at the Statute of Secrecy, the ICW had decided to intervene. What they hadn't expected were the sheer lengths that Grindelwald had went to succeed in his plot. The initial contingent of Hit-Wizards had arrived only to be mowed down by Muggle Nazi soldiers working alongside Grindelwald's followers.

Grindelwald had taken up a position as Hitler's main advisor in matters of the occult. The man's obsession with legends of Olde and Teutonic myth had sent his men on numerous wild goose chases. Hitler believed in the power held in ancient artifacts and Grindelwald had helped him increase his magical knowledge every step of the way. He had slowly exposed the various Magical communities around Europe and the rest of the world. Having learned of these ancient communities of magical people, Hitler wanted nothing more than to see if they could be used to empower his Reich. If he could coopt their magic and give it to his people, then no country would be able to stop his empire.

With such a grave threat to the Statute, the ICW had decided that it had to bring out the big guns. They liaised with the Mage Association to obtain reinforcements and attempted to secure the assistance of one of the five Marshals. The Mage Association was headed by the Archmage Council, the five strongest magical beings in the world. They each had two advisors who were high-ranked magi. These were the 15 strongest magical beings in the world. Under them, were the 5 Marshals. While the Archmagi and the Magi acted as administrators and helped guide the magical world, the Marshals were purely warriors. They were known as the strongest, most feared Warmages in the world. Their sole purpose was to police their assigned sectors and occasionally coordinate with the ICW to hunt and kill Dark Lords and their followers who threatened to break the Statute. Each Marshal was given charge of a cardinal direction with the strongest being the Central Marshal.

While the British Muggle government had declared war on Germany following Hitler's invasion of Poland, the British Ministry of Magic had refused to get involved. They had ironically chosen to hide behind the Statute of Secrecy and assert their neutrality in "Muggle matters". They had maintained their vaunted neutrality up until The Blitz occurred. Hundreds of witches and wizards were killed in the gruesome bombing campaign. The deaths had weighed heavily upon the community and the hatred fomented into numerous protests that nearly evolved into riots. The British Ministry finally gave in and decided to listen to the will of the people. They ramped up Auror and Hit-Wizard recruitment and started sending reinforcements to fight on the continent.

By the time the British Minister had gotten his head out of his ass, wizards and witches were swarming the recruitment centers. Even retired Aurors and Hit-Wizards came out of retirement to help train and lead fighters. Newly minted Hogwarts graduates were passionately signing up to serve in droves. While this was happening, Charlus Potter had already succeeded his father as Lord Potter and with his emancipation, he signed up with the ICW as a Hit-Wizard. During his training, he was flagged as a potential candidate for the War-Wizards. A War-Wizard was a fundamentally different role than a Hit-Wizard. They were the strongest and most devastating fighters in the ICW. During emergencies, they were often assigned under a Marshal to act as representatives of the ICW.

Charlus had been pulled aside by the instructor after training one day and had been informed of the opportunity. He initially hesitated in his decision, as War-Wizards were most often seen as cruel butchers that got the job done at any cost. The ends justify the means attitude that a majority of them seemed to have didn't appeal to him in the least. As a Potter, he was brought up with the concept of honor in battle and he was proud of his heritage. A part of him was nervous that by accepting the offer, he would be turning his back on the Potter family's heritage. It took him some time to work up the courage to let his instructor know about his concerns but ultimately helped him make his choice.

The instructor had gotten a representative of the War-Wizard regiment to come and inform Charlus about the job and philosophy. The talk had cleared up a lot of misconceptions and biases that Charlus had against the War-Wizards. Contrary to their reputation, the War-Wizards valued honor and sought to get the job done with the least casualties possible. They valued life and did their utmost to respect the sanctity of all beings, magical or not. The outside perception was a carefully crafted facade that the ICW was responsible for. It was something that they felt necessary to discourage Dark Lords from breaking the Statute. That wasn't to say that their reputation hadn't been well-earned. They were by far some of the most accomplished fighters in the entire magical world and only accepted the best into their ranks. They were known for being the elite forces of the ICW and kept that position through their extreme selectiveness of candidates.

Having his doubts cleared, later that evening, after taking a decent swig of firewhiskey, Charlus had entered his instructor's office and accepted the training offered with the War-Wizards. Upon his acceptance, the ICW transferred him to the British Army's Special Air Service (SAS) for training. One of the things that all War-Wizards were trained in was warfare and Muggles were the premier experts in the field. Having fought so many wars for so long against each other, many had developed proven tactics to engage enemy forces. Muggles had fought frequently enough to perfect their art of warfare, and the rise of special operations forces was the pinnacle of their combat knowledge being taught to a select few candidates. Their training and selectiveness mirrored that of the War-Wizards and many had adopted some of the strategies and training styles of their special forces counterparts.

Most importantly, they stressed physical fitness as one of the main criteria for success. Their training was the most brutal crucible that any man would go through. Most wizards didn't bother training their physical fitness. This was something that most often needed to be corrected. Warfare was not about who could cast the flashiest or deadliest spells, but how quickly one could destroy the enemy. The training that candidates went through forged their willpower and gave them the mentality to ignore their discomfort to finish the mission. This was the kind of mentality that all War-Wizards needed to develop and that's why all potential candidates had to pass training with Muggle special operations forces.

Charlus had taken to the training like a fish took to water. His hatred for Grindelwald and his thirst for revenge drove him to work harder than ever before. His initiative to excel was greatly appreciated by his instructors and he graduated at the top of his class. His affable nature had endeared him to his colleagues and many looked forward to serving with him. He breezed through the courses on tactics and weapons handling. He found himself enjoying basic parachute training along with the boat infiltration training. He learned about how to breach and clear buildings, camouflage techniques to blend into his surroundings and how to interrogate and resist interrogation. His favorite part of the training was going through the SERE course. Surviving in the unforgiving wilderness the Muggle way had been enlightening for Charlus. All his life, magic had made his life easy and convenient and now he wasn't allowed to use it. It was a humbling experience for him as he survived and escaped from his pursuers. He had graduated at the top of his class and had been drafted into the Special Projects Team, which was the ICW designated unit within the SAS.

After improving his spell repertoire, they taught him the basics of warding and enchanting. His apparition was practiced until it was nearly silent and he learned to erase his apparition trails. Along with improving his magic, he was taught small-unit tactics, edged weapon fighting and hand-to-hand combat. It mimicked the SAS's training but had been adapted to suit the inclusion of wands and spellcasting. After that, the mind arts were the main focus, to supplement the SAS's Resistance to Interrogation training. The last thing that Charlus learned was basic wandless magic that was purely utilitarian. Summoning, Banishing, Levitation, and Disarming were the only spells he perfected to cast wandlessly.

After his training, Charlus was assigned to a War-Wizard squadron awaiting deployment. His status had changed when the Western Marshal, Edward Barrett had intervened in the war. Despite his aloof nature, Barrett had not been happy at the bombing of his homeland and had offered the ICW aid on the Western Front. They had gladly accepted and Charlus' squad had been assigned to work under Jonathan Ashcroft, one of Barrett's lieutenants. That assignment had signaled the start of Charlus' legendary military career. He was first sent to the Middle East to assist the British military in Iraq, Syria, and Persia. Charlus' squad fought ruthlessly and occasionally assisted the Muggle military when they could. He and his squad worked alongside the army in helping take the countries that were showing favor to Grindelwald's ideology. The rulers of the countries were being compelled and Imperiused to act against ICW forces, hence they needed to be deposed and replaced. Charlus' squad had played a pivotal role in the deposition of the shah of Persia when it was discovered that Grindelwald's lieutenants had persuaded the Magical leader to their side. His squad had coordinated with Ashcroft's forces in storming the Persian Ministry and occupying it until a new leader could be selected.

After the harsh campaign in Africa, Charlus had saved the lives of most of his squadmates at least once. His squad leader was reassigned and had chosen him as his replacement. He had earned the respect of his squad and he inspired many to follow him into battle. His exceptional performance in Africa had attracted a lot from the higher-ups in the War-Wizard regiment. The way that he was able to blend in with the Muggle military and the efficiency of his squad gave them an idea. They assigned a couple of fresh trainees with specialized magical training, so each member would hold a specialization, be it enchanting, healing or curse-breaking. Charlus' new orders were to then cooperate with Muggle armed forces and operate as a ghost unit, assisting them against any magical intervention.

The war had caused the magical ministries of many ICW countries to pick sides. They tended to follow their Muggle government's orders and assisted the Muggle armies in their operations. Save for Japan, whose magical community remained staunchly neutral, every other Axis power turned against the ICW. With magical assistance, they became even more aggressive in their actions and caused unnecessary magical blood to be spilled. Charlus' unit was now assigned to be the magical assistance to Allied forces. His unit was given the codename "The Phantoms" and was dispatched to help the British invasion of Sicily. Within weeks, they helped the British gain a foothold and protected them from magical offensives as they advanced further into Italy. Their secretive actions saved the lives of thousands of Allied soldiers and they became well known among the ICW Combat Forces. Their brutal optempo and astounding success rate made them the go-to unit for when something needed to be done.

However, things did not always go their way. The battles had worn down a lot of the men and the deployment was causing a lot of tension amongst them. This had led to some fatal mistakes. They had lost almost half their squad to enemy ambushes and potent dark wards. After losing his primary Dark Arts specialist, Charlus had requested another one from headquarters. They had sent in the man who would go on to become one of Charlus' best friends and brother-in-law, Arcturus Black. Along with him, they had sent one of the most promising combat healers that had ever graduated War-Wizard training, Edgar Bones. With new blood, the squad started performing better and was sent on some of the most critical and classified missions. The camaraderie between them grew and eventually, Charlus requested a formal alliance with their families. Edgar was all for it as both their families were well known Light-Grey families. Arcturus had been loath to agree as the Black family was typically a Pureblood traditionalist family as Dark as their name. After much persuasion, he agreed to a temporary alliance between the families for the duration of the war. They fought viciously with the Italian wizards to help the Allies successfully push towards Rome. At this point, Charlus had been fighting continuously for nearly 3 years and desperately needed a break. War-Wizard High Command had approved their request and gave them some much needed time for rest and relaxation. They had been given a break for almost 2 months as Allied Forces slowly pushed the German forces back towards Rome.

After their break, the unit was immediately asked to coordinate with Jonathan Ashcroft for a second time and spearhead the Allied invasion of France. With Nazi Germany and Grindelwald's forces being pushed back, the Phantoms were retired as a unit and rebranded as "The Reapers". Their status changed from a covert magical support unit to a hunter-killer squad that targeted the worst of Grindelwald's followers. They were responsible for tracking and killing Gunnar Grimmson, Krafft, Macduff, and Carrowm, the darkest wizards to follow the Dark Lord Grindelwald. Charlus and his unit found themselves working with MACUSA and French Aurors and Hit-Wizards who had joined the Resistance. They were pivotal in the push to liberate Paris from enemy control and it was on the streets of the Place Cachee where one of the most famous battles of the Global Wizarding war was fought. It was the site of Charlus and Arcturus' duel with Gellert Grindelwald.

With his forces being pushed back to his homeland, Grindelwald had involved himself more in the recruitment of French wizards and witches to his cause. He needed to buy time for his forces to rally together and fight the ICW. He hadn't expected to run into the infamous Reapers when he had been recruiting on Rue de Magie. The fighting had broken out and soon spread to all the surrounding buildings. Dark and lethal curses were flying all around. His main opponents were the infamous Potter-Black duo that had been responsible for killing some of his most loyal acolytes. Angered by their loss, he had engaged the duo with some of the darkest curses he knew. Unsurprisingly, they both gave as good as they received, especially Arcturus Black. He threw some of the most potent and deadly obscure curses from the Black family grimoire. Despite being outclassed in terms of power and skill, they both managed to put up one hell of a fight. With the rest of the squad engaging Grindelwald's followers, both of them were free to let loose without worrying about sneak attacks.

It was a fierce duel that lasted almost an hour in length as the three of them focused solely on each other and lost track of their surroundings. It seemed near the end that Grindelwald couldn't hold against their onslaught much longer when Arcturus made a fatal mistake. He had glanced Grindelwald with a Dark Cutting Curse when he chose to push towards him to end the fight. In his elation, he had ended up slipping on a puddle of blood that made the pave stones slick. He tumbled and tried to roll to keep moving forward. Unfortunately, his momentary error gave Grindelwald enough time to fire a curse that caught him directly in the chest before Charlus could shield him. Charlus had yelled in rage as he fired several Dark spells at Grindelwald rapidly. Grindelwald smirked and mocked Charlus, telling him to choose between capturing him and saving Arcturus. It was the hardest decision Charlus had to make, but ultimately his honor and love for his brother in arms won. He allowed Grindelwald and his remaining acolytes to escape while he helped Arcturus. Despite cursing his name and family for choosing him, Arcturus chose to acknowledge the Life Debt that Charlus' actions invoked. They Floo'd to a Black property where he met Dorea and saved Arcturus' life.

Charlus had gotten the nastiest dressing down of his life from Ashcroft as he gave his report on the Reapers' failure in Paris. He had been put on suspension and had been demoted for "conduct unbecoming of an officer". The Reapers had been up in a tizzy about the latter punishment, but War-Wizard High Command was fuming and nothing would change their minds. His demotion got the Reapers a break as the ICW finally started to send the bulk of the newly trained reinforcements to push the Germans out of France. The break was well-received and allowed the squad to recuperate and mourn the loss of two brave wizards. They had lost 2 men in the fight in Paris and all of them were injured to some degree. Charlus began owling Dorea with increasing frequency as they found themselves interested in one another. They occasionally met up for tea and talked about the war. Their conversation topics started to meander as they found out more about each other. Charlus had been smitten with Dorea as he found her a charming, intelligent, beautiful and passionate woman. Arcturus was a bit put out by their "rendezvous", as he called them, but wasn't about to argue with the man that had saved his life. Besides, his sister seemed to like him well enough. It helped that he was a strong and honorable Pureblood wizard from a Most Ancient and Noble House.

They had been on suspension for 4 months before orders from High Command called them back into the fight. It had come time for the final push into Germany. They had gotten word that the Mage Association had drafted the famous Transfiguration Master Albus Dumbledore to deal with the Dark Lord Grindelwald. Alongside Dumbledore, the Eastern Marshal Asmodeus Vladimir Drakul was leading the charge of the Russian battlemages marching on the Eastern Front. The vampire and his lieutenants were scything their way through the enemy ranks and were headed straight towards Berlin. They were proving to be without any mercy as they committed many atrocities along the way, oftentimes accompanying their Muggle counterparts. The only reason the ICW wasn't up in arms against their actions was due to the victims being Muggles. This was one of the downsides of working with a Marshal. While they never personally engaged in such lawlessness, they regularly failed to dissuade their troops from doing so. They were rarely ever disciplined unless the crime was committed against witches or wizards. Muggles were fair game, which didn't sit well with the ICW, but they were unable to punish them for it.

Charlus had not been pleased when the reports had come out and hoped to Merlin that he never encountered the louts. He didn't think himself able to hold back should he see anyone committing such heinous acts. His squad had thankfully been assigned to the Southern region where their job was to stop any reinforcements from arriving. Dumbledore had expressed his wishes to deal with Grindelwald and ICW had been happy to hand him control of the operation. The Reapers had apparated into Berlin and concealed themselves across the southern side of the city. They waited for nightfall and counted down the hours until the operation began.

At 2 AM, Dumbledore had drawn the attention of Grindelwald by pulsing his magic. The pressure had made Charlus feel like he was underwater. The magical power of Albus Dumbledore wasn't something that he could describe. It was warm and inviting, yet had a hidden layer of icy steel just beneath the surface. Grindelwald, ever so histrionic had confronted Dumbledore in the middle of the street and welcomed him to Berlin. He tried to persuade Dumbledore to join his crusade against Muggles and take up his rightful place at Grindelwald's side. Dumbledore had a sad look on his face as he told his once best friend to repent and give up as to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. With neither willing to surrender, they started to duel. That duel would go down in history as one of the longest and greatest duels ever to be witnessed in modern history. The Reapers were amazed by the display of magic from the two men and fought hard to cover Dumbledore. Grindelwald's acolytes were trying their level best to come to his aid, but none of them were able to get through the net formed by Charlus' squad.

As the duel progressed, the surrounding fighting slowly dwindled as Grindelwald's followers either surrendered or died. Charlus had butchered several witches and wizards who had tried to fight them. He had stopped holding back once news of the camps had arrived at Headquarters. That his fellow magicals would allow such sins against Magic and Life to be committed was tantamount to giving up their humanity. He felt nothing as he cut them down one by one. These were not people, they were animals masquerading as humans. Any magical who would join that monster's cause would receive no mercy from him.

Four hours into the fight, both Dumbledore and Grindelwald were at the end of their tether. Their duel was decided in five seconds as Dumbledore surreptitiously transfigured the ground behind Grindelwald and sent a spike directly through the man's leg. Overcome with pain, Grindelwald stumbled back and received Dumbledore's spell chain directly. He was disarmed, stunned and bound in thick chains as his body fell to the ground. Dumbledore caught his opponent's wand and stared at his former best friend's body in the middle of the street. He knew that he should take the opportunity to end him, but he simply couldn't. So he declared the end of the war and told any remaining followers of Grindelwald to surrender. Many complied, while some chose to fight until the end. Those who chose the latter option found themselves overwhelmed and killed quickly and brutally. This persuaded many of those who were undecided to surrender themselves. After years of fighting, the Global Wizarding War had come to an end.

The entire Wizarding World had celebrated the day the war ended. Charlus and his fellow Reapers were given a hero's welcome back at Headquarters and all of them were commended for their bravery. Their actions both overt and covert had been crucial to winning the war and the ICW did their best to recognize them. Charlus and Arcturus were awarded Orders of Merlin, Second Class while their fellow squadmates were given Orders of Merlin, Third Class. Their Muggle military files were updated with their classified ICW missions and Charlus' name was promptly in the running for the Victoria Cross. Upon their return to England, Charlus, Arcturus, and Edgar were heaped with accolades. The members of the British Wizarding World were proud of the war heroes and held many balls and galas in their honor. They were trotted out frequently by the Minister as an example of the best Britain had to offer.

Charlus hated the fame that came with his homecoming and sought to just unwind from the war. Having been fighting for nearly a quarter of his life, he was tired of it all and withdrew into himself. He found refuge at the bottom of a bottle, mourning the loss of his brothers. He spent months perpetually drunk in taverns. His heroic actions allowed him unlimited access to alcohol as no barkeep would charge a hero of the war. It was Dorea who had found him one day, drowning his sorrows with firewhiskey. She gave him the tongue-lashing of a lifetime and told him how much she loved him. It was her love that had caused Charlus to pick himself up by the bootstraps and get to work. He quit drinking completely and dedicated his time to training himself again. He joined the Aurors and graduated at the top of his class at the Auror Academy. He rose quickly through the ranks as he brought in criminals and dedicated himself to helping others. Dorea's career as a healer took off and she found herself apprenticed at St. Mungo's as a specialist in Dark Curses.

Life was going well for Charlus and it became even better when he was presented with the prestigious Victoria Cross. Alongside the award, he was nominated and awarded the Knight Grand Cross of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire. He henceforth became Sir Charlus Henry Potter and his accomplishments in the war became well-known to the British public. After achieving knighthood, he courted Dorea Black and they officially started dating. Within a year, Charlus proposed and Dorea accepted. They were married in full pomp and style following Pureblood tradition. Their long and happy marriage was the envy of many. Their love and dedication to each other was something that James had seen many times.

Growing up, listening to stories of his father's life had inculcated a sense of pride in James. He felt pride in the Potter name and wanted to do his future children proud. He wanted them to feel the same wonder, awe, and pride that he felt towards his father. He wanted nothing more than to honor the history of the Potters and fight against tyranny. It was why he had reacted so badly to his father telling him to hide. He understood why, but he simply couldn't abide by it. The legendary Charlus Potter that dueled with Gellert Grindelwald wouldn't back down from a fight against some upstart Dark Lord.

His wife Lily had been supportive and encouraged him to follow his heart. She understood the consequences of what the Death Eaters' campaign would bring. They had loathed her at Hogwarts and with how bigoted they were, she had no doubt they would see her dead. She was not going to bring her child into a world where they were looked down upon because of her ancestry. If no one else was brave enough to pick up their wands and fight, she would. It was her innate courage and willingness to stand up for the downtrodden that saw her sorted into Gryffindor. She would be damned if she didn't fight to save her child.

It spurred her to join Albus Dumbledore's vigilante group, The Order of the Pheonix. She was mainly relegated to a support role but had fought against the Death Eater's many times in defense of innocents. She and James had also faced the Dark Lord Voldemort himself three times in combat. They mostly stalled for time, waiting for Dumbledore to arrive, but they nevertheless confronted him in battle. She couldn't believe that her bravery and conviction had satisfied the requirements for some inane prophecy spouted by a perpetual drunk. Now word had gone out that Voldemort was hunting them down to prevent the prophecy from being fulfilled. If she wasn't constantly frightened for the child inside her, she would laugh hysterically at the irony of her situation.


	6. For the Greater Good

Albus Dumbledore leaned back in his chair inside the Hogwarts Headmaster's office. A consternated look was on his face as his jaw lightly flexed. He was currently enjoying the sweet and citrusy taste of arguably the best Muggle confection ever invented, Lemon Drops. He could never understand why his guests never took him up on his offer. If only they would give it a try, they'd realize the taste was the perfect balance of sweet and sour to engage the tastebuds and energize them. Alas, not many were adventurous enough to give them a try and yet found no issue as decrying him a senile old man for enjoying them (albeit a bit excessively). Then again, he also did nothing to dissuade them of that notion, which gave him more leeway in negotiations and conflict resolution.

As the final remnants of the sweet dissolved on his tongue, he reached over to the bowl and was about to pick up another one, when he suddenly stopped. Withdrawing his hand, he placed it on the comfortable armrest and closed his eyes. When did he become so duplicitous in his dealings? He remembered a young man who wasn't afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve. A young man who had dreams and aspirations to improve his lot in life. Here he sat, Headmaster of Hogwarts, Supreme Mugwump of the ICW and Chief Warlock of the Wizengamot. To many, these positions were attainable only in their wildest dreams, yet he held all three. How his life had changed all because of that battle.

A single duel with a man he had once regarded a brother in all but blood. Their intelligence and power marking them exceptional in a country of moderately powerful magicals. Oh, what grand dreams they had! They had wanted to improve and drag the wizarding world to the forefront of humanity. They wanted to prove their superiority over the muggles and bring about an era of peace and cooperation not seen since Camelot. Magical beings would rule over their non-magical counterparts and together, they would have achieved great things and lead humanity to a better future. Their plans would all be for the Greater Good of mankind. What fools they were!

Looking back at their folly and the cost of achieving their so-called utopia, Albus could only mourn for the countless lives lost. He had been a young, impressionable boy with too much power and enough potential to feel that he knew what was best for others. It had gone to his head and when he met his equal in the young Gellert Grindelwald, he finally found an objective to work towards. Their relationship was something he still looked back on fondly. Gellert had taken the initiative to befriend him and turned a powerful but directionless young boy into a young man with a purpose.

Gellert had been obsessed with The Tale of the Three Brothers. The Peverell brothers were proven to have existed hundreds of years in the past. Their family was one of the founding families of the British Wizarding World. Their lineage had been traced back beyond the establishment of Hogwarts and the four founders to the kingdom of Camelot itself. The Peverells were a family of War-Mages, the most feared in the entire world in their time. Their talent and skill in the Necromantic Arts were legendary. Some of their recorded feats in battle were unparalleled and still acknowledged with fear to this day. Those stories were the main influences that allowed the squib playwright, William Shakespeare to pen The Tale of the Three Brothers. The Elder Wand, the Ressurection Stone and the Cloak of Invisibility formed the Deathly Hallows. It was said that the person to unite all three were granted the title "Master of Death".

Fueled with the knowledge of the Peverells, he and Gellert had quested for them over the summers throughout his Hogwarts years. They sought to unite the Hallows and take control of the Wizarding World and help guide them to unite with the muggles. They had spent so many summers searching in desperation for items that may or may not have existed. Upon his graduation from Hogwarts, his Transfiguration professor had handed him a letter. It was a permit to take a test for entry into the Transfiguration Masters Guild. It had been his dream for the longest time to join and Albus could not say no to the opportunity. He had handily passed the test and gained the recognition of the Transfiguration Grandmaster Erik Wolfe.

Gellert had not been pleased, but he had understood nonetheless. They had parted amicably and had kept in contact while Gellert hunted for the Elder Wand. Grandmaster Wolfe had taken him as an apprentice and expanded his horizons beyond what he had thought possible. It was during this time that Albus rediscovered his love of magic and all the possibilities it allowed. He had taken to teaching the newer guild members at the behest of his master who had advised him that "the best way to learn was to teach others". Having students question him and make him explain his thinking had challenged him immensely. Sometimes, they had asked questions that he did not have the answers to, and he had to experiment and find the solutions to satisfy his curiosity. He found tremendous pleasure in seeing the light of wonder in their eyes as he showed them the infinite possibilities Transfiguration offered, restricted only by their imagination. He became set on teaching at his alma mater once he attained his mastery and his childhood dreams had fallen by the wayside.

One day, Gellert had come to his house out of the blue. With a huge grin on his face, he had pulled out a long, ash grey wand with knots that resembled elderberries running down the length of the wood. "Albus, I found it! I found the Death Stick!" he had proclaimed jubilantly. Albus had wholeheartedly congratulated him on his success and the pair had caught up over dinner with his family. Albus had been nervous about telling Gellert of his newfound passion. They had wasted many summers dreaming of the utopia they would create. He felt as if he was abandoning Gellert in his quest.

When he had worked up the nerve to tell him, he had not been prepared for his friend's violent reaction. The smile had been replaced with a vicious sneer he had never seen adorn his friend's face. Heated words had been exchanged shortly after. It was a conversation he would never forget for the rest of his life. "How could you, Albus! We swore that we would unite the Hallows and stand as the Masters of Death! The muggles are a threat that needs to be dealt with. They will find us eventually Albus, and when they do, they will try to kill us. They would be jealous of our power and we would be hopelessly outnumbered! We swore to conquer and rule over them, for the Greater Good!"

Albus was left reeling from his friend's tirade. Betrayal? How could his friend and brother in all but blood accuse him of such a heinous crime?! To be called a betrayer for following his dream of teaching Transfiguration was something he had never imagined. His heart stung as Gellert's words knifed through his very being. All their time together and their friendship would end simply because Albus could not go along with Gellert's vision anymore.

He had stood up and retaliated viciously, his words dripping with venom as he remonstrated his former friend. "I betrayed you?! Is that really what you think Gellert? You've obsessed over those trinkets like a madman and the quest has changed you for the worse. Do you honestly think the Greater Good calls for lording over the muggles? Do you believe they are the problem? Or are you going to simply ignore the numerous ills of our society? How many lives will have to be sacrificed on the altar of your Greater Good?! All these years I went along with you because in you I saw a man I could trust. I saw a man who would sacrifice anything to contribute to the betterment of magicals worldwide. You gave me purpose Gellert, and for that, I will always be grateful. But now? All I see is a shell of the man I once knew and was honored to call my brother. Tell me, Gellert. Do you think it will be worth it in the end? I beg you, end this foolish quest for power and come home."

After his impassioned speech driven by his righteous fury at being called a betrayer was finished, he waited for Gellert's response. The silence dragged on as Gellert processed his words. The sneer he had was gone, and in its place was a blank, emotionless mask. The light in his eyes had died as he spoke "I've come too far to give up now. I've sacrificed so much of my life to this goal, Albus. Now that I have the Elder Wand, no one will be able to stop me. Not even you, Albus. Think about your family. About dear Ariana, and the muggle scum who turned her into what she is today. Your father had the gumption to do what was necessary. Why are you acting like such a coward? I'll ask one last time. Join me, or you will perish." He reached out his hand and waited.

Albus felt the salty sting of tears as he heard Gellert threaten him. He blinked his eyes and swiped at his face with his sleeve. Stone-faced, he gave his reply. "No, Gellert. I will not give up on my dreams to satisfy your twisted delusions of grandeur. What happened to Ariana was a tragedy, but not something all muggles should be judged by. Threaten me as much as you want, but if you threaten my family, I will do whatever it takes to end you." His wand snapped into his hand as he stared at Gellert's non-moving form.

The tension in the air could have been cut with a knife as the two strongest wizards of their generation faced off in silence. Gellert's shoulders had started shaking as he stifled his laughter. Eventually, his laughter grew harder and harder until it crescendoed to a wild and wicked cackling. He stared at Albus with a demonic-looking smile on his face, his ice-blue eyes boring into Albus' gaze. "Oh, Albus. You always were such a weakling. You never did have what it took to join me at the top. Peace is not something those animals would understand. Despite your best intentions, they will fear us, and they will kill us. I had hoped you were smarter, but it seems like you've gotten soft since you joined the guild. Just remember, you chose this."

The Elder Wand had snapped into his hand and a Dark curse flew towards Albus. "_Protego_!" Albus swiftly shielded just in time. The moment his surprise attack had failed, Gellert had immediately used an Unforgivable. "_Crucio_!" The red lighting soared through the air and hit the chair that Albus had summoned in front of him. The curse blasted apart the chair and Albus utilized the debris to respond. "_Sagitta_!" Numerous arrows formed from the pieces of the chair and were sent hurtling towards Gellert who ducked under them as they impaled the wall behind where he once stood. Rolling sideways, Gellert had run downstairs, hoping to put some space between them. Engaging a Transfiguration Specialist in close quarters was suicidal at best. Albus had chased him while shielding against the curses Gellert was throwing over his shoulder.

Aberforth had heard the ruckus and recognized the telltale glows of exchanged spellfire. He had never liked Gellert and felt that Albus would have been better off never meeting him. He felt brief vindication that he had guessed right as they had fallen out. Telling his sister to stay in her room, he rushed outside towards the living room to help Albus. He came upon the two exchanging Dark Curses and Albus utilizing every piece of furniture available to fight back. Gellert was getting desperate and decided to pull out all stops. "_Avada Kedavra_!" Hearing those words had brought terror and fear to him. The Killing Curse was the worst of the Unforgivable Curses and if that green light even slightly clipped him, he would die. He had dropped to the floor instantly, forgetting his training either conjuring or summoning a construct to block it.

His mind was racing as a cold sweat formed on his brow. Had Gellert tried to kill him, just now? Did his former friend hate him enough to power that curse? If that was the case, then he was too far gone and he needed to end this. Having successfully dodged, Albus started to transfigure everything in his surroundings into weapons that could kill Gellert. He started tossing them at him in abandon, his anger causing his magical aura to flare. Aberforth was also helping him fight, but just as he was pushing Gellert back, a Cutting Curse flew right towards Abe and hit his chest. A veritable fountain of blood flew out as a bloody line formed across Aberforth's shirt. Ariana had seen Abe get hurt and had immediately come to his aid. Aberforth had staggered a bit but stayed on his feet.

The rage Albus had felt as his brother had been badly hurt was something he had never felt before. He had always been a pacifist, advocating for diplomacy and against violence. Seeing his brother's blood staining his shirt had caused a change in Albus. His mind, body, and magic screamed for vengeance against the one who hurt his dear little brother. A wave of visceral anger coursed through him as he let out a scream of fury. Gone was the peaceful and understanding Albus Dumbledore, and in his place stood a man who would use any weapon at his disposal to exact revenge. A seemingly endless number of Dark curses started flying towards Grindelwald as he valiantly stood his ground, shielding against them.

Albus decided that that enough was enough as he prepared to cast the very first Killing Curse of his life. Aberforth had gotten back into the fight and his anger was no less compared to Albus'. The lull in the fighting had caused Gellert to abandon his defense and prepare himself to fight to the death. As if in sync, all three of them raised their wands and chanted the two words that would forever change their lives. "_Avada Kedavra_!" A blur of blue stepped in between them "Noooo! Abe! Alby! Don't do this!" They watched in horror as one of the green lights hit Ariana. The light of life in her eyes slowly disappeared as her body fell to the ground. They stood wide-eyed as the dull thud of Ariana's body resounded in the silent living room.

All three were stunned. For Albus, it was like the world had stopped. He could only watch in silent horror as his beloved little sister had been killed in front of him. He had dropped his wand and his scream of anguish had been the first sound that had escaped his mouth. "Ariana! Nooo!" He rushed forward and grasped his dead sister's body. Cradling her, he attempted to rouse her from her sleep, as if by some miracle she hadn't died. Rocking her back and forth, begging her to wake up and wishing that it was all just a nightmare. Aberforth had collapsed to his knees as tears flooded his eyes. He crawled over to Albus as he tried in vain to wake Ariana up.

Gellert had watched him and Aberforth try to resuscitate Ariana with a dispassionate gaze. It would have been so easy for him to have killed them both, and yet, he hadn't. He had killed an innocent young girl, and he must have felt some remorse for doing so. He had decided instead to escape and pursue his grand vision on his own, leaving him with some parting words. "So long as you don't get in my way, Albus. I will never try to hurt you or your family ever again. This I swear, so mote it be." A flash of magic had sealed his oath and he had swiftly run away. Albus had heard his words, but they had not registered. All he could think about was how he had failed his little sister. After the death of their mother, it had been his duty to care for and protect her. He had failed in his duty as a brother and it would haunt him for the rest of his life.

Ariana's death had changed both him and his brother. Aberforth had withdrawn into himself as he tried to drown his sorrow's in firewhiskey. Albus had tried to reconcile with him only to receive a solid punch in the face. It had broken his nose, but he chose to not heal it. He let it be a reminder of his failure and subsequently threw himself back into his Mastery studies. He had gone on to become the youngest Transfiguration Master in four centuries and tried to secure a teaching position at Hogwarts. Unfortunately, the only opening was that of the Defense Against the Dark Arts position. Albus had decided to apply for it anyway to gain experience as a teacher and wait for the Transfiguration position to open up.

After a few years of teaching DADA, his old teacher had chosen to retire and wholeheartedly recommended Albus as his replacement. The headmaster, Armando Dippet had seen Albus' great work as the DADA instructor and immediately transferred him to the Transfiguration post. Albus had finally found happiness as he had gotten his dream job. He brought over the enthusiasm and gusto that he had taught his DADA students with over to his new position. His students had found his classes engaging and the school saw an uptick in Transfiguration OWL and NEWT scores. While Albus had been enjoying his new position, the outside world had been embroiled in warfare. The growing tensions as the Germans started to annex the surrounding countries started escalating.

The shadows of a Dark Lord started rising from the ashes of the old Weimar Republic. Influential political figures and pureblood families started suffering accidents. Many dismissed the initial casualties as the muggle war encroaching into their world, just as the previous war had. By the time anyone had noticed the subtle pattern, it was already too late. Gellert Grindelwald had inserted his trusted allies into positions of power that allowed them to influence the magical populace to take his side. With him as their leader, the German Ministry had fallen within a couple of weeks. They had been torn apart from within as spies and supporters of Grindelwald sowed division amongst the people. From there they had piggybacked the German invasion of the Lowland countries to assassinate and replace key members of each country's magical government. By following a similar pattern in all the invaded countries, Grindelwald was able to take control of the various ministries with the least amount of bloodshed.

With those changes in place and his views gaining popularity, he influenced Hitler to engage in a mass bombing campaign against England. Albus never knew if this was to slight or anger him into joining the fight. Gellert had started a conquest for his empire and he knew that very few people could stop him, Albus being one of them. Once the bombing campaign had reached its macabre conclusion, British magicals were running towards the recruitment stations. The ICW started to heavily recruit War-Wizards from all over the continent to push back against Grindelwald's forces. Reinforcements started arriving by the boatload as the British Wizarding World united together to aid their brethren on the continent.

Many years had passed as Albus stayed behind the safe wards at Hogwarts, content to teach his students and grade papers. He had enjoyed the life of a teacher for so long he was loath to acknowledge the harm his former friend was causing. It had all come to a head one day when he had received word from his Master that the ICW had cornered Gellert in Berlin. The war was nearly over, but as long as Gellert was alive, it would rage on in perpetuity. Millions of lives had been lost in the conflict. Albus had seen pictures of the death camps that the Jewish people had been forced into. He felt sick to his stomach at the actions of his former friend. He had canceled his lessons for a week while he locked himself in his office. At the end of the week, he had come to a decision and immediately asked for leave from Headmaster Dippet. Having his leave approved, he wrote to his Master and the ICW, volunteering to lead the final battle against Grindelwald.

With his sterling reputation, the ICW had been happy to give him command of the ground forces. The Transfiguration Masters Guild had given its blessing and refreshed Albus' War-Wizard license. Albus prepared his dueling robes and took the ICW's provided portkey to Germany. Meeting up with the War-Wizards in charge, they had hatched a plan to draw Gellert out of hiding. In the crowd of the briefing room, he had spotted a couple of familiar faces. Most noticeably, Charlus Potter and Arcturus Black were sitting in the front row. They had been exceptional students at Hogwarts, but he was unaware that they had joined the War-Wizards. Gone were the bright-eyed young men he had taught, and in there place were two battle-hardened veterans. Their eyes cold and piercing, giving off a hint of bloodlust. He couldn't believe his eyes as he saw them for the first time in five years. To think that his cherished students had been forced to become killers was something that broke Albus' heart. It further fueled his desire to end the conflict and deal with Gellert once and for all.

He had gone into Berlin with a singular purpose and fire in his heart. Today was the day that he got vengeance. For Ariana, for all those killed in this needless war and all the suffering therein. He would harden his heart and kill his once brother. Failure was not an option. He had pulsed his magic and waited for Gellert to respond. He saw as Gellert waltzed into the street, his eyes glowing with a sinister smile on his face. His face showed signs of fatigue and weariness. "Welcome to Berlin, Albus. Have you finally come to your senses and realized that you were wrong? If so, I will gladly take you back and we can continue where we left off." As he heard the spiel, the fire in him started burning hotter as it almost consumed him. He couldn't believe the depths Gellert had sunk to. The pictures of emaciated children and thousands of dead bodies littering the camps came to mind. How could he ever support such atrocities against innocents?!

"If you think you will ever sway me to your side Gellert, I suggest you give up now. You are no longer the Gellert Grindelwald I once knew. Repent and give yourself up for judgment. Too much magical blood has been spilled, there is no need to spill anymore." Gellert had laughed and simply said: "I've almost succeeded, Albus. I won't give up now, so it seems that you'll have to make me." Albus had begun his spell chain immediately. Gellert had responded in kind and their battle had started. He started utilizing all his knowledge in Transfiguration and Dark curses to counter Gellert's offensive. It was the longest duel he had ever fought. Hours passed by with no clear indication as to who was winning. With both of them exhausting themselves, the battle had been decided by a simple trick that Gellert had missed. Albus had purposefully missed a spell two hours into the duel and transfigured a stone behind Gellert into a thin spike. He waited for the right moment, and summoned the spike forward, piercing it into Gellert's calf and going all the way through. When Gellert had been distracted by the pain, Albus had cast a basic spell chain, the Dueler's Handshake. He was on the verge of collapsing and it was the simplest and most effective spell chain he could use. It had worked as intended as Gellert had been disarmed, stunned and bound in chains. Albus had used a little extra magic to conjure iron chains instead of the standard rope. He couldn't take any chances of Gellert freeing himself.

The fabled Elder Wand had soared through the air and Albus caught it. Golden sparks shot forth from the wand tip as he felt his magic sing. He was now the new master of the Elder Wand, the most powerful wand in existence. Its power was his to command, and the extensive knowledge of his predecessors at his fingertips. It was an intoxicating feeling as if he was a deity looking down on the mortal world. Looking around him, he saw Gellert's followers attempting to fight their way to his body. It seemed like they wanted to rescue their leader, but the ICW War-Wizards accompanying him were fighting back viciously. He saw Charlus Potter cutting down enemy and enemy with a look of fury. He let loose a cannon blast from the Elder Wand, bringing everyone's attention to him. Casting a nonverbal _Sonorus_, Albus summoned his remaining energy and spoke. "Gellert Grindelwald has been defeated! This war is now over! Surrender, and you will not be harmed!" A few had immediately complied while others had fought harder. As the fighters were brutally killed, those on the fence decided it would be in their best interest to comply.

Albus looked at the body of his opponent. Tears came to his eyes as he walked towards it. With a shaking hand, he brought the Elder Wand up and pointed it towards the prone form of Gellert Grindelwald. 'It must be done. For Ariana!' he thought as he tried to feel the hatred he had felt towards Gellert all those years ago. The memory of his sister getting hit with the Killing Curse flashed through his mind. His brother's blood staining his shirt. Ariana's lifeless eyes, staring back at him as he begged her to wake up. "_Avada Ke-_" his breath hitched as he tried to cast his second Killing Curse. "_Av-Avada Keda-_" the tremors of his arm increased as he found himself unable to go through with it. Blinking his eyes, the tears ran down his face. 'He had to do it! It might be the only chance he ever got!' He steeled himself and tensed his arm to get rid of the shaking. "_Avada Kedavra_" The green spell coalesced at the end of his wand, but almost as soon as it formed, it sputtered out. Falling to his knees, Albus started to sob in anger, frustration and self-loathing. After all this monster had taken from him, he still couldn't feel enough hate to kill him. Tears flowed down his face as he pummeled the road with his fist until it started to bleed. 'I'm so pathetic! I can't even get vengeance for Ariana. What kind of brother am I?'

His self-loathing was interrupted by a slightly nervous Charlus Potter. He had no doubt witnessed his failed attempt at killing Gellert. Wiping his tears away, Albus greeted him with false cheer. "Charlus, my boy! The war is finally over. Shouldn't you be celebrating with your comrades?" Charlus had looked at him with a knowing look. "Professor Dumbledore. Don't feel bad that you couldn't bring yourself to do it. All it shows is that you're a good man, incapable of cold-blooded murder. As much as I want to kill him to take revenge for my father, I know that he needs to face justice. He is responsible for the deaths of hundreds of thousands of magicals. The only way people will recover from this war is with this monster paying for his sins." Albus reflected on his words and realize that he was right. He could never be like Gellert and hold such a casual disregard for the lives of others. He had thanked Charlus and left the area to go collect himself before he led the fighters back to the ICW forward operating base.

Charlus had not been the only one to see Albus struggling with killing Gellert, and rumors had abounded as to why. Many speculated that his relationship with Gellert had gone beyond friends and into the realm of lovers. They felt that it was the only way to account for Albus' emotional breakdown over Grindelwald's body. Albus couldn't help but laugh at their stupidity. He and Gellert had been brothers up until the moment that he had killed Ariana. Even now, her death weighed heavily on his conscience. It was an event that could have been avoided entirely had he not involved his family in their squabble. It had taken years for him to finally place his memory in a pensieve and relive the night of his sister's death. Upon seeing that it wasn't his killing curse that had killed poor Ariana, he had collapsed and turned into a sobbing wreck. All those years of self-doubt and blame that had been weighing him down had been finally lifted off him. He had drunk himself into a stupor that night, toasting his dead family.

Upon his successful confrontation against Gellert, the British Wizarding World lost their collective minds in joy. The adoration and praise that he received from his win were mind-boggling. He found himself being invited to several balls and galas where the nobility and those in positions of power would network. While holding the post of Transfiguration professor, Albus soon found himself saddled with the responsibility of being deputy headmaster. He had initially started off going to them only to satisfy the nagging of Headmaster Dippet as he was also often invited to the boring functions.

He soon found out just how much change he could effect when a suggestion he had made to one of the Light-oriented Lords ended up being written into law and passed by the Wizengamot. He saw firsthand how he would change the Wizarding World for the better through peace and diplomacy. He found he enjoyed the conversations and subtlety involved with politics, so he dove in headfirst. He had been elevated to a regular folk hero, so he leveraged his fame to start small. Starting a charity fund for orphaned young magicals, a scholarship for muggleborn students attending Hogwarts, opportunities for muggleborns and halfbloods in the Ministry and other trades. All good things that most everyone would back, save for the most traditional of pureblood families. Britain was in a time of rebuilding, and helping magicals unite was something he felt was important. After a few months of politicking, he found himself being awarded an Order of Merlin, First Class for his defeat of Grindelwald. It had signified the start of his long and glorious career as a politician.

Albus had always been torn about the medal. He had used it to gain a seat on the Wizengamot and make the case for change. It had been the foundation for his burgeoning influence in the government and him eventually gaining the position of Chief Warlock. Yet as it sat in his office, all he was reminded of was his many foolish mistakes. One duel could never hope to make up for the years of apathy that had allowed his friend to butcher his way through the continent. All those lives were lost because he couldn't bring himself to fight when it was necessary. Master Wolfe had often advised Albus to go and get battlefield experience to improve his arte of Battle-Transfiguration. Albus took this advice by signing up for the Transfiguration dueling circuit and fighting against other Masters of the arte. While Master Wolfe was happy with his progress, he had mentioned that he had expected Albus stepping out onto a battlefield as a mercenary or taking a Hit-Wizard contract through the ICW.

This had caused a fight between them as Albus refused to use his skills to hurt and kill others. He had been so passionate about his moral code until Master Wolfe had given him a dressing down he still remembered vividly. "Albus, you are acting like a child! You must learn to realize that violence is and always will be a part of life. Even if you strive to not harm others through some love of peace or misguided morality, not everyone will share those values. Human beings are complex creatures, and sometimes, there will be monsters who will seek to only destroy others. There is a time to be a warrior and a time to be a scholar. You must learn when to be which. Your strength and knowledge will cause others to look to you for leadership. When that happens, you must be able to harden your heart and be decisive in your actions. Otherwise, you will not only hurt yourself but everyone around you will suffer for your mistakes."

It was these words that haunted him every day he woke up in the middle of the new war being waged in Wizarding Britain. The Dark Lord Voldemort had been plaguing Britain for nearly a decade and there was no end in sight. Muggleborns and halfbloods were mysteriously vanishing or were outright killed. Even some of the Light-oriented pureblood families were being targeted. Seemingly, anyone who was fighting against the Death Eaters and Voldemort's agenda found themselves targeted. The Order of the Pheonix had lost many good witches and wizards to the Death Eaters. Several of his friends had been lost and the consequences of his inaction were catching up to him.

Had he dealt with Tom Riddle early on when he was still gaining support among the purebloods, maybe his friends would still be alive. Perhaps, all the people murdered by the Death Eaters would still be alive. He was constantly haunted by all lives that could have been saved, had he chosen to harden his heart and end the threat. He had sent Order members into battle while limiting the tools they could use to subdue the enemy. This had ultimately proved to be his undoing as they were constrained by their orders to not kill while their enemy had no such limitations. They were going to lose. He was sure of it. It was a terrible conclusion, but one he had to admit to himself. If only he had done what was necessary...

It was at that time that a miracle had come, in the form of a true prophecy. He had been interviewing Sybil Trelawney, niece of the famous seer Cassandra Trelawney, for the Divination professor position at Hogwarts. During the interview, she had gone into a trance and given a prophecy so powerful that he had felt his magic tremor at the words. "_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches... born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies... blessed by Death, aided by Fate, champion of Magic. He will have power the Dark Lord knows not. He shall bring forth an era of peace and prosperity for all blessed by Magic. The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..._"

Divination was a very imprecise field of magic and honestly not one he had much interest in. The timing of this prophecy, however, was something he couldn't ignore. It was like a glass of water to a man dying of thirst. He latched onto it, desperately hoping to figure out who the "Chosen One" of the prophecy was. Ultimately, he found only two families that he knew of who fit the criteria: the Longbottoms and the Potters. Unfortunately, he had been informed by his brother Aberforth that a Death Eater had been spying on the interview. Albus prayed to Merlin that the Death Eater hadn't heard the entire prophecy and in a massive stroke of luck, it turned out that he hadn't. Severus Snape, the spy in question, had only heard the beginning of the prophecy.

Severus had come to him after his master, Voldemort had chosen to target the Potters instead of the Longbottoms. The lad had lusted after Lily Potter for the longest time. So deep was his delusion that he still recognized her as Lily Evans instead of Lily Potter after her marriage to James. He had recognized that what Severus felt was not love, but he wasn't about to jeopardize his main source of information among the Death Eaters. The man's obsession was what drove him to turn on his master, and Albus had no problem in capitalizing on his guilt. He had quickly informed both families of the full prophecy and encouraged them to go into hiding.

Once Voldemort had learned of the prophecy, his fear of death had once again taken hold. He had never been the most superstitious, but true prophecies were quite literally Magic utilizing prophets and seers to make its will known. The sentient nature of Magic was unignorable to those who had studied it even superficially. Attacks on the magical populace as a whole had stopped and the war took to the shadows. Information brokers, Diviners and those with intelligence gathering skills were all given a task to find babies that fit the criteria of the prophecy. The purebloods who footed the bill for Voldemort's war spared no expense in trying to find the child their master wanted to be found. Several muggleborn babies and their families were ruthlessly murdered during July. Pregnant witches started sequestering themselves in their homes as the murders continued unabated.

Lily Potter, the main target of Voldemort had gone into hiding with James through the Fidelius Charm. He had suggested the Fidelius as it was the safest way to hide that he could think of. The Secret was imprinted onto the Soul of a Secret Keeper, who would give the Secret only to those who were trusted. In this case, the location of the Potter's Cottage in Godric's Hollow would only be known to someone privy to the Secret. Any others would have no memory of the place and would not see the building from outside. He had nominated himself to become the Secret Keeper, but James had been adamant that it should be Sirius. Combined with the Godfather Ritual that he would undergo, Sirius was loyal enough that even through torture, he would never give up the Secret. That would put his godchild in danger and the ritual would extract punishment through his magic and life.

They had argued their case and eventually won, as Albus couldn't find any faults in their reasoning. Sirius' very life depended on not giving away the Secret, and despite his reservations against the Black family, he had seen the relationship between James and Sirius. He was confident the boy wouldn't betray his cousin, not after he had been taken in by the Potters after his disownment. It had proved to be a good choice, as Albus was finding out. Sirius had been attacked a couple of times, but he had shown his ability to handle himself. Voldemort's attacks had all but stopped and life was getting back to usual when the fated day came.

The day had started like any other. Albus had woken up, gone through his morning routine and sat down for breakfast in his office. As August started, the amount of paperwork increased dramatically. Along with his numerous duties at the ICW, the Wizengamot and Hogwarts, not to mention the Order, he found himself living in his office. The date was July 31st, 1980 and it was the final day affected by the prophecy. He had received word through Augusta Longbottom that Neville Franklin Longbottom had been born the day before. He had made a note to look into young Neville and see if he had the power to be the chosen one.

Fawkes had flashed in carrying an envelope with his name on it. Seeing the slightly messy scrawl, he smiled fondly. James never had improved his handwriting much, but the sincerity of his words always bled through the untidy script. They had been corresponding from the beginning of their sequestration. James had kept him updated on Lily's status while he gave him insider information that he learned at the Ministry. It was deemed too dangerous for anyone who knew the secret save for family to visit the Potters. As such, all the news they received was from Charlus and Dorea, himself or Sirius. It had been his solemn duty to inform them of the passing of several Order members and friends of theirs. Every time he had received their reply, he could feel their sadness about the situation.

Dragging himself out of his thoughts, he opened the envelope and read the letter contained within. As he read on, his brow furrowed and his eyes lost their trademark twinkle. Lily was going to be giving birth to two children most likely today. What surprised him the most was that James had never mentioned a second child. He could tell through James' letter that it had been a surprise to him too. Maybe this was Magic's way of ensuring the fulfillment of the prophecy by gifting Lily and James with a second child. Nevertheless, the letter had given him an invitation to Potter Cottage to be present for the birth of the children. He quickly wrote out a short letter of acceptance and gave it to Fawkes. Seeing his phoenix flash out of the room, he found his thoughts meandering to the past.

He finally reached over to the small candy stand bowl and grabbed another Lemon Drop. Returning to his paperwork, he glanced at the clock and sighed. The last children of prophecy were going to be born tonight. Hopefully, the protections they had in place would hold and the child would live life as a child should before being burdened with the fate of vanquishing a Dark Lord. Asking a child to endure the hardship that would inevitably follow was too cruel, even for a man like him. He was a man who played the long game and fought for the Greater Good, but he was not heartless.

His Greater Good was the opposite of Gellert's. He truly had no intention of ruling the Wizarding World, yet he found himself thrust with power and influence beyond his imagination. The threat of corruption was something that worried him a lot. He had fallen prey to the tantalizing promises of power once, and Ariana had paid the price for him. Albus refused to allow himself to be tempted and it was his steadfast attitude of neutrality in the face of pureblood supremacy and bigotry that allowed such ideas to flourish. Using his influence would make him addicted to the feeling of getting his way, something he desperately wanted to avoid. Otherwise, he would be no better than Gellert. Nonetheless, it was in times of solitude, that he second-guessed his choices.

Finding himself too distracted to deal with paperwork, Albus simply walked over to the bookshelf next to his desk and picked up the new tome he had acquired through some connections. He had been researching ancient magic in a bid to find something that could help deal with the threat posed by Voldemort, hence, it took precedence over all else. It was not often he found the time to relax and research with his responsibilities, so he savored the limited time he could enjoy.

The hours ticked by as evening came. Getting up from the comfortable chair, his knees creaked and popped as he slowly stretched his legs. With a serene smile on his face, he smoothed out his robe. It was a flashy royal purple with animated stars glinting on fabric as the occasional shooting star streaked across. As he got older, he found that flashy robes allowed him to adopt the persona of a slightly eccentric grandfather, throwing his opponents off balance. In response, his wardrobe had gotten flashier and more avant-garde as he built his brand through his bold choice of colors and patterns. Madam Malkin was only too happy to experiment and he had become her favorite dress-up doll. He often enjoyed the clever remarks and jokes made against his wardrobe and took it all in stride. It was a small amount of playfulness and creativity he could use to lighten his spirit in trying times. He was sure the children would love it.

Calling for Fawkes, he waited for a couple of seconds as his companion flashed into his office in a burst of fire. Albus held out his arm as Fawkes perched onto it. Gently stroking the silky smooth feathers, he inquired as to his phoenix's day. Contrary to popular belief, Fawkes was not his familiar, but his companion. He had been attached to Hogwarts for the longest time, but only bonded with headmasters of exceptional character and power. Many headmasters in the last couple of centuries had not met the requirements, hence they did not get to meet Fawkes. It had come as a huge surprise to him when on his first day as Headmaster when he returned to his office after supper to find a phoenix on a gold perch which hadn't been there when he left earlier in the morning.

"My dear friend, could you please get me to the Potter Cottage in Godric's Hollow? James and Lily are expecting their children tonight, and I wish to be there." Fawkes trilled a positive reply and allowed Albus to grab onto his tail feathers. In a flash of fire, Albus teleported from his office into the living room of Potter Cottage. He was greeted by the sight of four wands pointing in his direction, each glowing with spells ready to be fired. He chuckled amusedly as he brought both his hands up in a placating gesture. "It's good to see that all of you have taken a page out of Alastor's book. After all, we are living in dangerous times and constant vigilance never hurts." The wands were lowered and he heard James greet him. "Professor Dumbledore! It's great to have you here."

Albus slowly observed the others in the room. Charlus Potter stood tensely while glaring in his direction with his wand still at the ready. Sirius Black and Ted Tonks were sat back on the couch in laid-back poses. James began walking towards him with his hand out. "James, my dear boy, how many times have I told you to call me Albus? You are no longer my student, therefore you have earned that right." He shook James' hand as he continued speaking. "Nevertheless, I feel that congratulations are in order. This is a momentous occasion for you and Lily and I'm certain that you will be great parents."

James glowed at the compliment as he puffed his chest out. "Honestly Albus, it still seems a little surreal. Especially now that we found out we're expecting two little bundles of joy. Lily was ecstatic when she found out and I feel the same way." Albus lightly smiled as he was guided to a chair. He sat down as James returned to his nervous pacing. "I was wondering how Lily is doing? Who's taking care of her right now?" Charlus answered his question. "Dorea is up there with Ted's wife Andromeda. They're both qualified healers and I'm fully confident that Lily is in good hands. I only hope my dear son would quit wearing a hole in the living room floor." His joke seemed to lighten up James's tension as he smiled fondly at Charlus. "I too am fully confident in Mum and Andy, but I can't help myself."

Just then, Andromeda came down the stairs and called for James. "James! Lily needs you up here. The children are coming!" James immediately bolted up the stairs as Albus and the others wished him luck. Entering the room, he saw his mother casting diagnostic spells onto Lily as she winced in pain. It physically hurt him to see her in pain. Even though he knew how rare it was to lose a witch in childbirth, it still did nothing to alleviate the pressure. "Hey, Lily-flower. How are you doing, love?" Lily's eyes glared at him as she gritted her teeth. "James Charlus Potter! I can't believe I let you talk me into this!" James couldn't help but laugh at the situation as he sidled up alongside the bed and took Lily's hand. "Don't worry Lily-flower. It'll all be over soon enough. Mum and Andy know what they're doing and you'll be just fine." Lily's eyes started to water as she looked up at him. "I can't believe we're going to be parents, James. I'm going to be a mum!" It was confusing seeing Lily alternate between anger and happiness and James grinned widely. He bent down and gave a kiss on her forehead saying "Do your best Lils. I love you more than anything. I can't wait to be a father. Thank you so much for giving me a chance."

Dorea had been watching the by-play for a while and rolled her eyes. She was fully confident that her daughter-in-law would make it through. She was a powerful witch and Magic tended to help with pregnancies and childbirth. The more powerful the witch, the easier it would be to give birth. That didn't mean it wasn't painful. It was just easier, not to mention the significant reduction in recovery time. She kept track of her spells and noticed a shift inside Lily. "Alright, the first baby has started its journey. James, make sure to hold her hand tight. Lily darling, I need you to push as hard as you can. Remember the breathing exercise I taught you. Andy, keep an eye on the monitors and refresh the spells as needed." Lily started to push and the pain started to increase drastically.

Downstairs, her screams were heard by everyone in the living room. Save for Albus, all the others were up and pacing. Albus calmly closed his eyes and meditated. He sent up a quick prayer to Magic for Lily Potter to have a safe delivery and the children to come out healthy. Roughly an hour passed as the screams had died down until nothing could be heard anymore. Opening his eyes, Albus flicked his finger as he cast a wandless and nonverbal Tempus. The numbers fizzled in existence in front of his eyes. 12:02 August 01, 1980. 'Born as the seventh month dies.' A sigh escaped his lips as he pondered on what it meant. Lily Potter going into labor and giving birth to both of her children just before the prophecy's deadline was certainly not a coincidence. He had his work cut out for him to find the right child. What if he made a mistake? Countless things could go wrong between now and the time the child could fight Voldemort. What if they died prematurely? Would he be single-handedly responsible for the destruction of Wizarding Britain? Self-doubt weighed heavily on his mind as he contemplated his next actions.

As he was thinking, Andromeda had come down the staircase. "Alright, everyone. Come on up and meet the babies." The men in the living room all hustled towards the staircase as they rushed upstairs to the delivery room. Upon entering, they saw James sat next to the bed smiling proudly. Lily was looking slightly breathless with sweat visible on her forehead. This did nothing to take away from the beautiful smile on her face as she gazed down into her arms. Two bundles of wrapped blankets were held akimbo as Dorea bustled around the room, cleaning it up after the procedure. Sirius was the first in and as he got closer to the bed he saw the face of the child on Lily's left arm. His breath was stolen from him as he saw a baby version of James with Lily's stunning green eyes. "Is that them? Dear Merlin James, he looks just like you did." James grinned as he slowly took the bundle from Lily and brought it over to the other side of the bed. "Twin boys, Padfoot. This is the elder, Henry James Potter, his nickname being Harry." Hearing the name, Charlus felt slightly emotional. He wished he hadn't lost his father so early on in his life and that he could be here to see his great-grandchildren.

Charlus peeked over Sirius' shoulder alongside Ted as they observed little Henry. He could immediately see the resemblance between Henry and a baby James. It was uncanny. The lad had inherited his mother's striking green eyes that seemed alight in curiosity as they looked up at him. Sirius started lightly bouncing on his feet and rocking his godson back and forth. The baby gave a wide smile and this action, unbeknownst to others, caused a profound shift in Sirius. He had always planned on being a bachelor and not having any children to continue the Black family line. Holding little Harry in his arms made him doubt his previous assertions. 'Maybe kids aren't so bad after all.' he thought as he saw James coming over with the other bundle in his arms.

James went directly to his father and handed him the baby. "We weren't expecting a second child, so we didn't have a name prepared. Lily and I talked it over, and while we're not sure of his first name, we wanted his middle name to be Charlus." Charlus was dumbfounded for a second before he smiled. "While I am honored that you would want your child to hold my name, I feel that the boys should share their middle names. Names have power, James. For twins, it would be best to share their father's first and family names." Hearing his father's reasoning, James decided that it made sense. "In that case, maybe you would like to name him? If it's okay with Lily?" He looked back while he asked his question and saw Lily smile and nod her head in assent. Charlus also saw her give permission and started to think. He needed a strong name that brought honor to the Potters. Their family shared history with the Roman empire, so Julius was a strong contender. It even matched the boy's birth month. Thinking some more, his brow furrowed in concentration as he thought back to famous military figures in history. His military background saw him delve into the history of warfare both Muggle and magical. As he was thinking, a flash of inspiration occurred. He had found it! The perfect name for his grandson. One that was a balance between modern and traditional with a great history. It was as if Magic herself had spoken to him and given him his epiphany. "Alexander," Charlus whispered, almost reverently. "His name will be Alexander James Potter." As he said the name out loud, he felt as though a cool breeze passed through his very soul.

"An excellent name, dear." Dorea looked over and smiled. James and Lily expressed their happiness at the name. It sounded regal and powerful. It would serve their son well. Walking over to Charlus, she took the bundle from his arms, admiring her second grandson, Alexander. He shared a lot of features with his twin brother, except the eyes. Her darling grandson seemed to have inherited the lustrous grey eyes of the Black family. She remarked "Oh dear, aren't you such a cute little boy. With your big, grey eyes and hair like your handsome father."

Upon hearing her statement, James looked up in alarm. "What are you talking about Mum? He has my brown eyes." Almost immediately, Lily spoke up. "James, I'm pretty sure that he has my eyes and shares that with Henry. They are twins after all." Charlus looked at Dorea inquisitively as he remarked "I'm pretty sure that he has James' eyes, Dorea. You must be a little tired from the long procedure. Maybe we should head back to the manor to get some rest." Dorea fiercely retaliated at Charlus' insinuation. "Do you honestly think I am incapable of seeing the color of my grandson's eyes?! I'm not color blind! And I certainly am not knackered enough to make such a simple mistake!"

Albus watched the scene play out before him with a twinkle in his eyes and a mirthful smile on his face. He had a good hunch about what was going on, but he needed to confirm it. He walked over to Dorea and saw the baby looking up at him curiously. "Dorea, may I please have little Alexander? I think I know what's going on, and I want to test my hypothesis." Dorea gently handed the baby over to Albus as he slowly settled him into the crook of his arm. Looking at Alexander, he noticed the grey eyes that Dorea was mentioning looking up at him curiously. As he stared back, he saw the grey slowly be replaced by the baby blue of his own eyes. His smile grew wider as he noticed the subtle change took barely two blinks of an eye. "Oh my. It seems that the boy has indeed inherited something from the Blacks, but it's not their eyes."

He walked over to the bed as he gave out instructions. "James, Sirius, I want you two to stand on the other side of the bed. Lily, my dear, I want you to hold Alexander flat on his back, so he can see all of us." Handing the baby to Lily he stood on the right side of the bed as James and Sirius stood on the left as he had instructed. Lily held Alexander in a position that allowed all the others to see him and vice versa. The others in the room started crowding around the bed, trying to see what was happening. Andromeda Tonks was the first to notice as she gasped. The others also saw the change as baby Alexander's eyes started changing colors rapidly. It alternated between blue, green, brown, grey. "By Merlin, he's a Metamorphmagus!" Andromeda shouted in happiness. Her daughter Nymphadora was one as well and didn't have anybody to relate too. Ted, who was holding Harry also couldn't help but feel glad for his daughter. He knew that she would be singled out for her gift, but having a friend near her age who shared it could do wonders for her.

James, Lily, and Sirius were all pleasantly surprised at the revelation. Metamorphmagi were exceedingly rare and there most likely weren't more than a couple every generation. James' maternal heritage alongside Lily's wilder magic had allowed the gift to express itself. Lily smiled at her baby boy as his eyes morphed into emerald green. Ted also thought that maybe Harry could also be a Metamorphmagus and started to observe him for any changes. A couple of the others had similar thoughts and looked towards Harry and Ted. As he stared into Harry's eyes, Ted couldn't notice any changes, so he shook his head and sighed. Albus broke the silence, saying "Well it seems as though young Harry does not share Alexander's gift. Although, it could express itself later on, just as Alexander's might change in scope once he comes into his magic. Magic is mysterious in some ways. Who knows what the future might hold..."

Both the babies seemed to be getting tired, so the guests started to give their farewells and congratulations before filing out of the room. Soon, it was only Sirius, James, Lily and himself in the room. He looked at them both with a serious expression. "I just wanted to remind you all of the danger that you are in. As you all know, prophecies are powerful. The feeling I got during the invocation was beyond anything I had ever felt. Alongside Henry and Alexander, young Neville Longbottom, born just yesterday, are the three prime candidates. They must be protected at all costs. Their lives are more valuable than all of ours, as one of them is destined to defeat the Dark Lord Voldemort. I suggest that news of the boys are protected and don't extend beyond those who were present tonight. Would it be alright with you if I ask for Secrecy Oaths from the others? The longer this information stays away from Voldemort the better. What he doesn't know is something we can use to our advantage."

The three all looked at each other and exchanged nonverbal signals. Eventually, they all nodded and James replied "It's alright with us Albus. Only my father and Ted need to take Oaths. As the Healers in charge of the delivery, Andy and my mother's Healer's Oath prevent them from disclosing any information. Albus nodded as he stood up and got ready to leave. "Thank you for your understanding. I will go back to Hogwarts and send them both letters to meet up at a later date. James, Lily, I wish you a peaceful night's rest. You've more than earned it. Congratulations once again to you both. I can't wait until the day they attend Hogwarts. With their parent's talents, I'm sure we can expect great things from them both." James and Lily thanked him as he called for Fawkes and flamed back to Hogwarts.

Upon reaching Hogwarts, he slowly sat back down at his desk, summoning a fresh sheet of parchment to write the letters for Charlus and Ted. As he was about to grab the quill, he instead leaned back and summoned the bottle of Bowmore 25 with the Glencairn glass he kept hidden in his desk. Pouring himself a dram, he picked it up and swirled the golden liquid in his glass. The smoky, slightly herbal smell of the whiskey hit his nose as he raised his glass. 'To Neville, Henry, and Alexander. The children of prophecy. May the Chosen One show himself soon.' he toasted mentally and drained the glass in one gulp. He savored the peaty, nutty and creamy cocoa taste as it cascaded over his taste buds. Sighing tiredly, he gently kneaded his eyes before reaching for his quill and starting to write.

* * *

**Author's Note:**

Hello Everyone,

I apologize for the delay but interviewing and job hunting took precedence to my writing. I still managed to write a beefy chapter that spans nearly 10,500 words. I wanted to make sure that I wrote this particular chapter well as it reveals a lot of background information on our beloved manipulator in chief.

I wanted to try something different in my novel instead of the standard, misguided, GreaterGood!Dumbledore or flat out Evil!Dumbledore. I tried to humanize him in a way I've not seen very often in other fics. He's a very polarizing character in the Harry Potter universe and I personally did not like J. K. Rowling's portrayal of him. While some choose to make him evil, others make him a virtual saint. I'm attempting to find a balance between both where Dumbledore and our MC learn from each other. One of the best attempts I've read that reimagines Dumbledore's character from canon is _Albus and Harry's World Trip_ by ZebJeb. I wholeheartedly recommend everyone to give it a try, as Albus' character really grew on me.

Keep in mind, his character will change as the story goes on. I want this to be the case for all characters as I write on. I don't want to relegate them to 2D cardboard cutouts. I want to expand the universe in a unique way by giving you guys different perspectives.

I've gotten some feedback that some might not enjoy it as it detracts too much from the MC, but I ask for your patience. I guarantee that the main perspective of this story will be told through the eyes of the MC. I hope to keep writing long enough to be able to learn how to achieve the best balance on changing perspectives. Properly outlining character motivations and their evolution with time for the various characters in the story is an important goal for me as an author.

I will be experimenting with different magical concepts and the inner workings of magic in my world. I welcome any and all suggestions. I hope that you all enjoyed the chapter and I look forward to publishing the next one soon.

Sincerely,

AltruosAlliterator


	7. Up In Smoke

Daniel sat swaddled tightly in his mother's arm. He had been confused as hell when he saw Lily Potter looking at him. He wanted to be in the story and help Harry, but being reborn as his brother, was something he couldn't believe was possible. His existence has probably thrown the entire canon story out of whack. This was bad. He had valuable knowledge of a future that was doomed to never exist. He almost wanted to cry, as his grand plan to help Harry stick it to Dumbledore went up in smoke before he could even start. Harry would not be sent to the Dursleys because they would have to send him too. Dumbledore wouldn't be able to raise a martyr because he would have family still alive that would give him a reason to live. He didn't think Death would be so cruel as to drop into the Potterverse and then kill him early on.

His thinking had been interrupted as giant people filed into the room. Alright, maybe giant wasn't correct, but relative to him they could very well be called that. The first man to enter the room had grey eyes, refined features, and long black hair. James had taken Harry and handed it to him, saying that Harry was his godson. That had to mean the man was Sirius Black. He wiggled around, trying to get a better look at the scene playing out in front of him. Lily felt it and settled him back facing her, so he eventually gave up. He could hear their conversation as they spouted the same canon description of Harry repeated many times throughout the series. A carbon copy of his father with his mother's eyes.

He felt a hand snake under him as he was lifted through the air. It was an odd feeling, to say the least. He had been lifted several times by the nurses for different reasons, but none of those times felt like this. He felt weightless as he was handed off to James and settled into the crook of his arm. Turning around, he seemed to be walking towards an older looking gentleman. The man looked a lot like James, but more rugged. James started talking to the man about wanting to make his middle name "Charlus". Given the elder man's stunned reaction, it must have been his name. 'Charlus? Was there any character in the books called Charlus?' From the similarities between him and James, that meant that he was most likely James' father. 'Wait! That means he's my grandfather!' The books had never referenced Harry's grandparents as it was just assumed that they died before he was born. If this man was truly his grandfather, then he was in an alternate universe of Harry Potter. Hopefully, one where his grandparents would survive the war.

Charlus rejected the notion by saying that names had power and as twins, they should share their middle and family names. Daniel didn't know what to think about that because he honestly felt Charlus was a cool sounding middle name. He would've been more than happy to honor his grandfather at the same time. James then offered to allow Charlus to give him a name. This was when a sliver of doubt came into his mind. He liked the name Daniel, but it was associated with nothing but the sickness and suffering of his past life. With this, he would be effectively starting with a clean slate. While his memories still mattered, he wanted to experience a new world without any baggage. He hoped that he would get a decent name. God knows what would happen if he got stuck with some ridiculous name for the rest of his new life. He looked at his grandfather with a pleading look in his eyes as the tension built up. Charlus was hemming and hawing before he got a look on his face. It was like he had received enlightenment as he whispered Daniel's new name. "Alexander. His name will be Alexander James Potter."

Daniel, now Alexander, was elated with his new name. It sounded absolutely badass. He made his happiness known with a smile as he gurgled. He heard a voice compliment his grandfather's choice as he was lifted yet again by another person in the room. This time, it was an elderly lady who had a regal bearing to her. Thin but strong arms supported him as her grey eyes stared down at him. "Oh dear, aren't you such a cute little boy. With your big grey eyes and hair just like your handsome father." 'Wait, what?! Grey eyes?! Wasn't he twins with Harry? Wouldn't that mean his eyes were green?' His confusion was increased by James saying he had brown eyes. To which Lily countered that he had green eyes. The situation became even more complicated when Charlus backed up James' assertion. At this point, he didn't know what to think as everyone was offering conflicting judgments.

Through the commotion, he heard a slightly hoarse, elderly voice call out to Dorea and ask for him. The figure, who wore purple robes with shooting stars on them gently took him from his grandmother. He stared up curiously, only to find himself face to face with the hypocritical, lemon-drop sucking Wizard of Oz himself. The man behind the curtain that manipulated all of Wizarding Britain into thinking of him as the second coming of Merlin. One of the most knowledgable, secretive and skilled wizards to ever live. Albus Dumbledore. The person who manipulated Harry all his life and influenced him to martyr himself against Voldemort.

Before he even had time to react, Dumbledore smiled at him with that wretched twinkle in his eyes. He walked forward while giving instructions to James, Sirius, and Lily. Something about letting him see all of them laying down. He had no idea why they were doing it but went along with it anyway to not garner their suspicion. Lily had taken him from Dumbledore and laid him down on his back. The other adults started surrounding the bed and he looked up at them, wondering what exactly they were all looking at. As he was looking at the various faces, he heard a lady gasp and say: "By Merlin, he's a Metamorphmagus!" This was something he recognized instantly. 'I'm a Metamorphmagus like Tonks?! That is so cool!' The movies had done an amazing job at showcasing Nymphadora Tonks' shapeshifting powers. As thoughts raced through his head, he found himself getting drowsy. It looked like he was able to change his eye color, which was kinda cool but limited. Seeing as he couldn't change his hair or face, it looked like he wasn't a full Metamorphmagus. Still, it could be a cool party trick, so he wasn't gonna complain.

Dumbledore started talking about how Harry didn't have the gift but it might manifest it later on in his life. The most interesting part he heard was that his talent could potentially evolve. Meaning, he might just be able to change his facial features and hair in the future. 'Here's to hoping.' he thought as he listened to adults drone on about him and Harry. The boring talk started to lull him to sleep as he felt his eyelids getting heavy. It must have been some sort of signal because all the adults started congratulating James and Lily before quietly filing out of the room. He found himself in Lily's arms again as she walked towards the crib. She lowered him onto the soft mattress as James came over and set Harry down next to him. With that, Dumbledore went downstairs with James, Lily, and Sirius following him. He turned his head to the side looking at Harry. He found him looking back at him with a curious look in his big, green eyes. If this was what being a baby was like, the next couple of years were going to suck.

After an unknown amount of time, he heard the stairs creaking as footsteps drew closer to the room. Lily was the first through the door, walking to their crib and fussing over them. James followed closely behind and put his arm around Lily as he looked down upon him and Harry. He stared back with a blank look on his face. James' wand shot out of his sleeve and he gave it a flick. A stuffed animal that looked like a stag materialized out of thin air and James caught it as it fell. He brought the stuffed stag close to them as he muttered an incantation while tapping the toy. He set it down in between them and Alexander stared wide-eyed as the toy stood up on its own and started walking around. Harry found it exceptionally entertaining as he gurgled happily while the stag lightly prodding his cheek with its fuzzy antlers. Not finished with his impromptu performance, James chanted "Bublio" and a small stream of clear bubbles erupted out of the tip of his wand. The stag started to prance around the crib, popping the bubbles as they fell. Both of them were excited by the display of magic before them as they wriggled around.

Lily, who had been watching from the side with a smile on her face stepped in. "James, they're tired. They need to be calmed down, not excited. Otherwise, we won't get any sleep." She gently remonstrated him in a loving tone. James had cracked a half-smirk as he looped his hand around Lily's waist and brought her in for a kiss. "Don't worry Lily-flower. It's not like we have jobs to get to. We're stuck in the cottage until the Dark Bastard is taken care of. Might as well have a bit of fun now that these two little imps are going to keep us company." Lily had lightly slapped James' chest as she replied. "James Potter! No swearing in front of my babies. I do not want them picking up any foul language." James had grinned as he riposted. "Look at that, Lils! You've truly embraced your motherhood already. Okay then, I promise to keep my language clean when around the boys. I'll save the dirty talk for the bedroom." He finished with a mischievous wink. Lily looked aghast as she slapped his chest a bit harder than the last time. "James! Manners!" His only reply was to tighten his grip around her and pull her in for a searing kiss that lasted a while.

Alexander was kind of weirded out by what was going on in front of him. Oh, he understood the reason, as he had experienced the same intense desire for Agatha. However, seeing his new parents making out in front of him was nothing but awkward. He blamed his memories and internal maturity as Harry was minding his own business, enamored with the animated stag. After what seemed like an eternity of awkwardly avoiding looking at them, they finally broke apart and started to coo at him and Harry. Harry seemed to have spent whatever energy he had playing with the stag, and was struggling to keep his eyes open. He, on the other hand, was seemingly filled with boundless energy. It didn't look like he would be asleep for a while.

He could see the tiredness in Lily and James' eyes though, so he pretended to be sleepy. Both of them, especially Lily, deserved a long night of rest. He would figure out something to keep him entertained while he tried to go to sleep. James had picked up the stag and deactivated the animation charm. Lily bent down and softly kissed them both on the forehead. "Good night my sweet babies." James followed up with a soft "Good night. Harry. Alex." He reacted to the nickname. 'Alex, huh? Sounds cool.' They tiptoed out of the room, shutting off the light while leaving the door open. A couple of minutes later, Alex glanced at Harry. The little tyke was out like a light. All that excitement must've tuckered him out. It had been less than five minutes since James and Lily had left. Sighing, he looked up at the mobile with the Marauder's Animagus forms slowly revolving around and tried to fall asleep.

Alex didn't know how much time had passed, but he couldn't take it anymore. He had tried everything he knew to help him relax and start his trip to the realm of Morpheus. Meditation, breathing techniques, even attempting to remember his boring med school lectures. Some of them had put him straight to sleep, even with his enthusiasm for medicine. None of them had been effective, as he could feel the energy, bubbling underneath his skin. He started to get curious as to what exactly it was. It felt natural like it belonged, but the only thing he could compare it to was a form of runner's high. He felt on top of the world and didn't seem to be coming down anytime soon. It was frustrating because of how little he had to go on.

'Could it possibly be my magic that I'm feeling?' It would make sense because magic is a type of energy and children could unintentionally use it in small bursts. J. K. Rowling never went into detail about the mechanics of magic in small children. The most she ever described was accidental magic and its various forms. Harry turned his teacher's hair blue, Apparated onto the school roof and most likely healed all his injuries from the Dursleys. In most cases, it manifested in a time of stress and responded to the child's will. This was an important point as it demonstrated that wandless magic was not as out of reach as magicals believed. If they could do it as children, why couldn't they do it as adults?

He could deduce from his prior reading that there were two basic components to wandless magic that he knew of. Emotions and will. Magic seemed to be closely intertwined with emotions. Otherwise, accidental magic wouldn't consistently be able to be traced back to times of emotional turmoil. Will was the second element and also the most difficult to understand. It could be something simple, like desiring an item enough to summon it into your hands. It could also be as complex as demanding something and Magic reacting to fulfill the demand.

When Harry was searching for a place to hide from Dudley's gang and accidentally Apparated, he ended up on the roof. The roof was an odd choice as a hiding place. Completely inaccessible to students and staff, which was why the fire department had to respond and get him down. Wouldn't Harry's safest place be his cupboard, which was his sanctuary? Was Magic possibly be sentient? Could it have reacted to Harry's demand for a safe place in the context of the situation? The event had occurred during a lunch break if he remembered correctly. Harry would not have been allowed to leave school grounds for home, as the school hadn't let them out yet. Had Magic transported Harry onto the roof with these constraints in mind? It was something he would have to investigate later on.

He was brought out his thoughts by a low whimper sounding next to him. Turning his head, he saw Harry, now wide awake, looking towards him. His eyes had tears pooling in them as he let out another whimper. 'Oh, no. Please don't cry. Please don't cry.' Alex mentally pleaded as he attempted to move to calm Harry. 'This blanket is so damn restricting I can barely move a finger!' Let me out, damn you!' The moment the thought had appeared in his mind, the blanket had loosened considerably. It was enough for him to free his chubby little arms and hug Harry. As he draped his arm around him, Harry instantly quieted as his sniffling ceased. 'That's it. Good boy! Everything's going to be fine.' Harry had gurgled as his eyes stared into his.

Alex had felt something strange as he looked at Harry. It was a foreign feeling that he couldn't quite place. He felt a hodgepodge of different emotions, some of which he couldn't categorize. Love was there, and a good deal of it. Calm, comfort and curiosity were all present, along with something that didn't make sense to him. It took him a few seconds to figure out that he was feeling Harry's emotions.

'Oh, man! It happened when I looked into his eyes! Could I be a natural Legilimens?!' To test his hypothesis, he had broken eye contact and snuggled into the right side of Harry's neck. Oddly, he still felt Harry's emotions, but something else had come to the forefront. Possessiveness? Protectiveness? Whatever it was, Harry was feeling it acutely. Before he could notice, his blanket, the one he had shed, wrapped back around his figure. This time, it worked in concert with Harry's blanket to form a double swaddle...thing. He wasn't sure what it was called, or if it even had a name. Needless to say, it wrapped around both of them like a double burrito, encasing them in plush, wooly warmth. Alex marveled at how relaxed he felt. Hearing Harry's soft breathing as his chest rose and fell was something that brought a lot of comfort to him. He was slowly lulled by the sensation as his eyelids grew heavy and then, the world dissolved into black.

Lily Potter woke up at her regular time of eight in the morning. She gingerly extended her foot out of the warm embrace of the blanket and onto the carpeted floor. Getting up slowly so she didn't wake James, she crept out of the room, making her way towards the twins' room. As she was walking, she couldn't help but be amazed at the convenience afforded by magic. Roughly ten hours ago, she had given birth twice and now, she only felt a mild soreness. She remembered Petunia's experience with childbirth and it had made her nervous when she was expecting. Petunia had been bedridden for almost a week after giving birth to Dudley. After both Harry and Alex were born, Dorea had handed her a couple of potions that fixed her right up. She had handed her a potions regimen schedule that would have her back to normal within two days. Sighing in wonder, she walked over to the crib and gasped at the sight before her.

The twins, who were individually swaddled yesterday, were now joined together under the blankets. A bright smile blossomed on her face as she walked quickly back into the master bedroom. "James. Wake up!" she whispered as she shook her husband. Being an Auror, James' reaction was swift as he flicked his wand into his hand as he whipped off the blanket and got out of bed. Seeing Lily in front of him, he protectively embraced her while keeping his wand pointed at the door. "What is it, Lily?! Is it the wards?! The boys?!" his mind raced as he tried to figure out what was happening. Lily was touched by his protectiveness and smiled as she pecked his cheek and explained what she had seen. "You have to see the boys, James. I think one of them may have done some accidental magic! They look so adorable all bundled up together. Get the camera. We need to save this moment."

Exhaling in relief, James affectionately ruffled her head as he made his way to the chest of drawers opposite the bed. He opened the top drawer and retrieved the camera, and quickly loaded a fresh roll of film. They made their way to the room and James also gasped at how cute his boys looked as they slept. Positioning himself directly above them, he framed the shot and clicked the shutter release. The camera flashed brightly as a click sounded. Not satisfied with one photo, James repositioned himself and took another one. This process repeated four more times as he endeavored to get every possible angle. It was a good thing they had been deep asleep and weren't disturbed by the constant flashes of light. Lily sidled up next to him and leaned her head onto his shoulder. Looping his arm around her, they stood in silence, just admiring the angelic scene in front of them.

After several minutes of silence, they exited the room and went down to start their morning routines. James always started preparing coffee while Lily went to the bathroom first. By the time she was finished, he would have two piping hot mugs on the table. Ever since Lily had introduced him to coffee and all the different methods of making it, James had been hooked. He routinely switched up his method of preparation and what coffee he used. Lily loved to try exotic blends from different parts of the world, so they always had various bags from different brands in their cupboard. Today he felt like he needed something a bit stronger, so he chose a dark roasted Sumatran coffee. He took his time as he ground the beans using a hand grinder. Waiting until he had the perfect medium grind texture. It was a ritual he enjoyed every morning. He loved the feeling of using his hands to get the consistency he desired and make a delicious cup of coffee for Lily. Of course, using magic would be easy, but he felt more satisfaction when he saw her smile as she took her first sip. Knowing he was responsible for it made it all the better.

These small daily habits were what kept both of them sane as they hid from a Dark Lord hell-bent on murdering them and their children. The pressure had been building for a while as they learned about the chaos outside of their little haven. Entire families being wiped out by the Death Eaters, ending ancient lines that existed since the time of the Four Founders themselves. Most of the pressure had been released upon the birth of their children. The adorable little scamps would become a big part of their lives from today onwards and he couldn't wait to witness them grow up into fine young wizards. However, James was aware that despite a lot of pressure being released, their continued concealment would mean the pressure would build up yet again. They would eventually go stir crazy, as they couldn't hide forever.

He prayed every day for the end of the war, but it didn't look like it was going to end soon. It had dragged on through his seven years at Hogwarts and beyond. It was at times like these where he questioned his decision to stay in England. His father had been adamant they leave the country with Sirius, but his stubbornness had caused the biggest argument they had ever had. He had been foolhardy to think that he could fight while keeping his family safe. Lily's pregnancy had changed everything. Suddenly, James worried day and night about his safety. If he died, then how would it affect Lily and his children. It was what caused him to resign from being an Auror and take a break from the Order. Dumbledore had been understanding when Moody hadn't. They both approached warfare from varying perspectives. While Moody saw a good wand being taken away from the fight, Dumbledore saw an expecting father worried about not being there to raise his children.

They had gone under the Fidelius under Dumbledore's recommendation and waited for the arrival of their children. It had started well enough, but slowly, they started constantly being on edge. Lily's hormones ensured she was on a hair-trigger and James' irritation was at its peak. Until the day before, they were feeling stressed beyond belief with nothing but bad news from all fronts. Several Order members had been killed and they had wept for every single one of them. He got to the point where he started thinking if it was all worth it. That question was answered when he held his sons for the first time. A wave of clarity had passed through him as he saw their inquisitive eyes looking up at him. Every sacrifice they had made had been worth it. He would hide for the rest of his life to keep his boys safe if he needed to.

Despite their argument, James had wanted Charlus and Dorea to be there for the children's arrival. He wanted to use that to reconnect with his father as most of their correspondence had been frosty and impersonal. His parents had arrived and the tension between him and his father was palpable. He had welcomed and hugged him to break the ice. His mother had been ecstatic that they had begun the process to mend their relationship. He had wanted to honor his father by having his name be his second son's middle name. Even though his father had rejected, giving him the chance to name his second son had been an effective peace offering. His father had gifted his son with an amazing name and they had reconciled over it. They had left filled with joy after meeting their grandchildren. He hoped he could have them over more often, so his children could get to know their grandparents.

As Lily came down the stairs, he had finished pouring the coffee into their mugs. They sat down at the table in silence, sipping their coffee and enjoying each other's company. Gazing into his wife's brilliant, emerald eyes, he had a feeling they were going to make it.


	8. Future Potential

It was a little more than one year since his rebirth in the world of Harry Potter. Alex initially had some trouble adapting to his new situation. Despite what others thought, it wasn't easy being a baby. The feeling of vulnerability and dependence was something he had issues with accepting. As an adult with a fully developed consciousness, it was quite embarrassing to remember being breastfed and uncontrollably evacuating his bowels. The latter had been the most uncomfortable feeling he had ever experienced. During his first four months, with limited development in his vocal cords, he couldn't express his frustration in anything but screaming and wailing. Lily and James were both excellent about changing his nappy, so he never had to suffer for long. Having both parents at home while growing up had its advantages.

Since his first night with Harry, he had developed a close relationship with him. He had found that he and Harry shared a bond, for want of a better word. It wasn't one of those "soul bonds", like in those trashy romantic fanfics. It was mainly a link between their minds, that allowed them to feel the emotions of each other. While disappointed that he wasn't a natural Legilimens, Alex was nonetheless thankful for being able to experience Harry's emotions. As they grew up, the link also changed its nature slightly, allowing simple thoughts to be transferred between them. Alex had taken to teaching Harry basic words like "mama" and "dada", typical first words. He had waited for 3 months, once Harry could send coherent thoughts through the link. After that, it had taken almost 2 months of effort, but he had eventually been able to teach Harry a few words.

It was surprising to him how quickly they were both able to speak. There must have been something about magic that made magical children mature early because unlike Muggle babies, he was able to start speaking by 5 months. James and Lily had gone crazy when the word "mama" had slipped out of his mouth while they were playing. James had instantly reached for his camera, which he had taken to keeping close by at all times. Lily had praised him to high heavens, going on and on about what a smart boy he was. Harry had followed closely behind him, saying his first words 3 days later. Both of them were hailed as geniuses who had inherited their mother's intellect (according to Lily and Sirius, much to James' chagrin).

Speaking of Sirius, he had officially gone through the Godfather Ritual with Harry and established the godfather bond. It was a Pureblood custom that he and James had been raised with, and one of the few they wanted to follow. With the ritual, he had been technically made a second father to Harry. In the case of anything happening to James and Lily, he would be in charge of Harry's wellbeing. By being the godfather of the Heir Potter, this also brought Alex under his care if the worst happened. The Death Eaters and Voldemort had learned of their birth through a rather small but crucial mistake that Sirius had made. In preparation for their first birthday, Sirius had gone to Quality Quidditch Supplies to get training brooms for the twins. He had mentioned that he wanted it wrapped, as it would be a birthday gift.

Unfortunately, a spy planted in the store had overheard his conversation and reported it to one of the information brokers. The broker had then pieced together the information to make some accurate conclusions. Sirius Black was a close friend of James Potter, and a confirmed bachelor, so it was assumed that the brooms were a present for Potter's children. Seeing as he had bought two brooms, it would mean that there were two children. Seeing as they were brooms, both children were most likely male. With him getting it roughly a week or so before the end of July, it meant that the Potter children's birth fit the timeline specified by the Death Eaters. That information had been sold to an Inner Circle Death Eater who had brought it straight to Voldemort. The hunt for the Potter's location had intensified since then. Dumbledore had notified them about the increase in search activities and cautioned them to be safe. Sirius had come to celebrate the twins' birthdays but had spent most of the time beating himself up for making such an elementary mistake. Lily and James had forgiven him almost immediately, but he still blamed himself for putting his friends and godchildren in more danger.

Harry's godmother had been Alice Longbottom, the same as in the books. It hadn't been clear in the books what measures the Longbottoms had taken to protect themselves. In this world, they had chosen to go under the Fidelius like the Potter family. Their Secret Keeper had been Frank's mother Augusta Longbottom. With both families going under the charm, it was decided that it would be beneficial for the Secret Keepers to share the locations with both families. Lily had developed a Portkey that only worked for the Longbottom's magical signature, which allowed them to visit each other conveniently. This had been a godsend for Lily and James as they now had friends they could talk to that understood the situation. Both families benefited from the frequent interaction and it also allowed their children to play together.

Their first meeting with Neville was when they were roughly 3 months old. It was around the time they could all sit upright without any support. That was when toys had become a major part of their playtime. Lily had included all sorts of Muggle learning toys that improved cognition and pattern recognition. It was a Pureblood tradition to give one magical toy that encouraged children to express their magic, so their grandparents had taken out some of James' old toys and given it to them. There was a specific toy that drew his fancy. The toy in question was an enchanted ball that responded to the magical aura of a child by floating around them. His first interaction with the ball had surprised nearly all the adults in the room. Neville had rolled it around before getting bored and moving on. The moment he had touched it, the ball had lightly glowed before soaring into the air and hitting the ceiling before dropping back down. Harry had been ecstatic at the spectacle and tried to make it respond in the same way, which it did.

All the adults were stunned as the ball reacted to the strength of the magical aura of the child playing with it. Most often, it would float a couple of feet high while encircling the child. The fact that it had reacted that dramatically to both him and Harry was something that demonstrated a powerful magical aura. Lily had squealed with excitement as she connected the dots. James was also beside himself with joy. Their sons seemed to be exceptionally powerful and would only grow stronger. Frank and Alice had been genuinely happy for his parents, as far as he could tell.

However, the event had interesting consequences for Lily and James. They were aware of the prophecy, as Albus had told shown them his memory, but had hoped that it wouldn't apply to their children. Now that it turned out they were magically powerful, it only deepened their worry that one of their boys would be the "Chosen One". Lily was proud of their strength but paranoid about what fate would have in store for the one mentioned in the prophecy. Fighting a Dark Lord as strong as Voldemort would be a daunting venture. They had fought the monster enough times to never wish it on their worst enemies. Every time, they had barely gotten away with their lives. Their sons' strength gave them limited comfort, as Voldemort was someone even the great Albus Dumbledore could not openly defeat. What right did they have to try and burden either Harry or Alex with the fate of the entire British Wizarding World?

Though hesitant, they had written a letter to Dumbledore the following evening about what had happened during the boys' playdate with Neville. He had immediately responded and asked for permission to come over. Giving their acceptance to Fawkes, it took a mere 5 minutes before Albus Dumbledore flashed into their living room. "Good evening James. Lily. Thank you for accepting my request. How are you two holding up?" Lily had a dark look on her face. Several of her friends had died in the interim. Now, she had to deal with one of her sons possibly fulfilling some prophecy uttered by a drunken Seer. A prophecy that had trapped her husband and their kids inside the cottage and had the Death Eaters spending tens of thousands of galleons trying to locate them. The boys, along with the Longbottoms, had made it easier, but it was still a very stressful and trying time for her and James.

"We're tired, Albus. So tired of all the death and destruction going on outside these walls. Tired of all the lost friends, whose funerals we couldn't even attend. When will it end, Albus?" James had a similar look of weariness on his face as he heard his wife ask Albus the question that was on his mind. He looked at the Leader of the Light with a minuscule amount of hope for an answer. Unfortunately, Dumbledore's solemn look dashed all his hopes. "I am so sorry that you and your family are going through this ordeal. Every day I wake up, I try to fight against the evil that is infecting our society. Sadly, many who are in the position to help us do not want to do so. They rest safe in the knowledge that their interests will be protected, no matter which side wins. When I was younger, I used to have so much hope in the Ministry and how it could become a force for good in our world. Now, I can only be disappointed with what it has become. Rampant corruption, endless greed, and lack of compassion towards their fellow magicals have reduced it to an ineffectual mouthpiece. The prophecy came at a time when we needed hope. Though I am loath to subject a child to such a task, who are we to question the workings of Fate?"

Dumbledore's little speech brought about a silence that the three of them stewed in. They were all weary and hoping for the end of this damned war. They had fought their enemies honorably, only to be killed through despicable means. They had all lost so much, and now they were trying to pin all their hopes on a child. Breaking the moody atmosphere, Dumbledore lightly smiled and moved on to the topic at hand. "I understand that you wanted to talk to me about the twins and the magic they displayed the other day?" Lily looked at James, as he gave a small sigh before answering. "Yes, Albus. They were given a traditional Pureblood toy that responds to their magical aura. When Alex touched the toy, it reacted rather violently by shooting into the ceiling. Harry then tried to recreate it and it responded in kind. It became rather obvious to us that they were exceptionally powerful children. While a toy is no substitute for an actual potential test, Lily and I figured that it would be best to get them tested as soon as possible. To confirm whether our worst fears are coming true."

Dumbledore looked at his two favorite students with a sense of profound sadness. As an educator, he was not supposed to be biased or have favorites, but the two in front of him gave him hope for the future. Lily's compassion and willingness to stand up for others, James' humor and will to fight against evil were traits he wished others had. Too many witches and wizards had become disillusioned and left the Wizarding World altogether. So many brilliant Muggleborns and Half-Bloods who had much to contribute were driven away by those in power.

He had noticed the steady lowering of the magical population a couple of decades ago and tried to solve the problem. He was met with opposition from almost every faction not in the Light. The Neutrals so greedily hung on to their power while the Dark faction was all for ejecting those they deemed "unworthy" from their society. If only more people were willing to see the damage that such views were causing, they would realize that without fresh blood and new ideas, their society would eventually die out. Tradition had its place, but time was merciless. It would forge forward regardless and their society would perish due to their foolish decisions. All of their vast knowledge and magical talents would disappear forevermore, and it would be their own fault.

Frankly, this war had long been fomenting in Britain and he had hoped that it wouldn't occur for a long time. Surprisingly, all it had taken was an opportunist like Tom Marvolo Riddle to encourage them to fight for such an ignoble cause. It was disheartening to see their vile actions whenever he came to the scene of an attack. The heinous actions of his followers had sickened him. Every time he received the briefing as Chief Warlock, he would almost shed tears at the cruelty the woman and children especially experienced at the hands of those beasts.

His policy of second chances and forgiveness had stemmed from the fact that all these people were once his students. He had seen the light in their eyes when they learned about magic. The wonder and excitement of learning new spells and the possibilities of magic was something he had enjoyed watching on their faces. To think that those same students had gone out into the world and turned into these beasts was something he couldn't comprehend. The bestial nature of these men who paraded around, killing and torturing innocent people was so incongruous with how they had been as students. Was it really only Voldemort that gave them the courage to act in this manner? Or had they always been capable and willing to commit such evil and he had never realized it?

While a lot of his students had gone on to become Death Eaters, he was still reminded of the good within every person. When he saw James Potter and Lily Evans fight for their beliefs. When they willingly joined the Order even though they could have fled the country for greener pastures, his hope in the future of British Wizarding society was partially restored. They had saved the lives of many human and non-human magical beings. They had never discriminated against the origins of others. They fought because of their belief in him, and here he was, hoping one of their children was the answer. He had felt sickened by his elation when he received their letter. How desperate must he be that he was pinning his hopes on a baby that couldn't even properly talk yet? Had he really fallen this far?

"Well then. I will need you to fetch the boys here so that I may conduct the test. Know this, though. Should one of your children be the Chosen One, I will stop at nothing to teach them everything I know and I will keep fighting Voldemort and his forces. Prophecies are usually vague. Hopefully, we can vanquish Voldemort once and for all without the need for involving a child. That would be my sincere hope." He tried to convey his sincerity as much as possible. He truly did not want to use a child as a shield, but sometimes, Fate's decree was final. One did not get to his age and not realize that the will of Magic could not be ignored.

Lily had gone upstairs to fetch the boys while he and James sat in silence. His declaration notwithstanding, he could see James' anxiety. As a father, he would never wish such a fate upon his children. It showed that he was a loving father who would not let the status of the Chosen One get to his head. Seeing James now brought up so many memories for him. He had been good friends with his father Charlus Potter after their meeting in Berlin upon his victory against Gellert. He had seen James grow from a mischievous young boy into the caring, strong father he was right now. He felt a close connection to the twins as if they were the grandchildren he never had. It was going to be a difficult task to chose one over the other. He hoped it wouldn't affect the other child and the family, but it would ultimately be up to them.

Lily came down the stairs with the twins in her arms. They had been woken up a few moments ago by the tired look in their eyes. He took the one in her right arm, which he knew to be Harry, the older twin. "Hello Harry, my name is Albus Dumbledore, but you can call me Grandpa Albus." Harry looked at him curiously as he replied. "Grampa Albus? Like Grampa Charlus?" Albus smiled as he heard him speak. "Yes, Harry. I'm a good friend of your Grandpa Charlus and I am here to test your magic." Harry seemed to have some idea about magic, but not what a test was. "Just relax, my boy. I will cast a spell and some numbers will light up. All you need to do is stay still. Can you do that for me, Harry?" The little boy nodded and sat perfectly still on his knee.

Flicking out his wand, Albus started to make some complex wand movements that formed into the runes that analyzed the test subject. The Unspeakables had access to a measuring stick that had the runes engraved onto it, but he didn't want to borrow it in case it reported measurements to the Department of Mysteries. He knew that they had been compromised by Voldemort, but the leadership wanted to clean house personally. He also could not let such crucial information fall into enemy hands, so he had decided to do it manually. It would take a lot of magic and effort, but it would be worth it for the security. Finishing up the runic circle he carefully guided it until it settled around Harry's head, like a halo. The child in question was marveling at the revolving circle around him in wonder.

With a quick check to make sure it was secure, he cast the spell. "_Ostende potentiam tuam_." As soon as he cast the spell, a number had appeared atop Harry's head. Starting from 0 it started to climb. As it reached 150, he was mildly impressed. This meant that Harry would be one of the more powerful wizards of his generation. As it hit 179 and went further, he went from impressed to amazed. A grand sorcerer coming from Britain was rare, especially with the noticeable decrease in magical power among Pureblood children from the current generation. Much to his surprise, the numbers did not stop there, rising all the way to the limit of 200. He was stunned by the result. A natural-born magus!

They were not unheard of, but they were exceedingly rare. Historically, they were known to be born in times of great turmoil. The legends said that Merlin had been born as one, as had the Four Founders of Hogwarts. Since their time, several more were speculated to have been born, but there hadn't been a method of obtaining a quantitative measurement at the time. This was beyond his expectations, as he was a member of the Mage Association and knew exactly how hard it was to become a full-fledged magus. To be born as one could possibly be construed as a gift from Magic itself. Lily and James had also been floored by the result. They were both categorized as a high-level sorcerer and low-level grand sorcerer respectively. They had expected their children to be powerful, but even they hadn't thought that one of them would be a natural-born magus.

Albus had difficulty keeping the excitement off his face. Harry was most likely the child of prophecy. He had jovially thanked Harry for being a good boy and gifted him with some chocolate he had brought. Handing Harry back to Lily, he took Alex from her and introduced himself the same way. Contrary to Harry, Alex did not warm up to him. He had a rather cold and detached look when Albus had addressed him, which made him think that Alex possibly didn't like him. It was odd, seeing as he had never met the boy formally until now but he nonetheless carried on with the test. Alex quietly watched as he wove the runic circle. The wonder was there in his eyes, but also a spark of intelligence, and dare he say, mistrust? Finishing up the circle and settling it onto Alex's head, he cast the spell for the second time, feeling a slight drain on his magic.

The number 0 appeared and started rising, just like it had for Harry. The numbers increased at a similar pace, breezing through the lower hundreds and 150 onwards. Once they passed 179, Albus was impressed by the boy's potential. While he may not be as strong as his brother, he would no doubt also be able to reach the level of a magus if he worked hard. His genial smile dropped as the numbers reached 190 and kept increasing. A deep look of concentration replaced his previous expression as he stared at the numbers unblinkingly. The scale went up all the way to 199 and hit 200, for the second time in 20 minutes. Now, he was absolutely dumbfounded by the circumstances. Two natural-born magi who were twins?! That was something that had no historical precedence whatsoever. He had been confident that the Chosen One had been found, but now the situation had gotten much more complicated. Which one of them was the child of prophecy? Or was the prophecy referring to them both as one person? Would young Neville Longbottom also show such amazing potential? The questions flooded his mind as he processed the implications of the test results.

James and Lily were staring at the result, unsure of what to think. Both of their sons were natural-born magi, which was mind-boggling to them. Although happy, their anxiety about the prophecy increased at the same time. With both Harry and Alex being so powerful, one of them had to be the Chosen One. This was an added stress on top of the threat of Voldemort hanging over their heads. Lily's eyes started tearing up as she tightly grasped James' hand. James could feel her concern as she held Harry close.

Albus gently thanked Alex for being a good boy and offered him chocolate. The boy promptly accepted it and motioned for James. James went and picked him up as he settled back down next to Lily on the couch. The tension in the room could have been cut with a knife. Albus turned to Lily and spoke. "Lily, my dear. Could I please get a cup of tea? My magic is slightly drained right now and we need to discuss the results and what they mean." Lily set Harry down on the floor and went to prepare some tea. James summoned some toys from upstairs and placed Alex down next to Harry for some playtime. Alex immediately went over to the enchanted ball as he made it levitate in front of him. Harry had gravitated towards a wooden car as he rolled it around making "vroom vroom" noises.

Lily came back with a tray that had a pot of tea and a plate of biscuits. Handing Albus and James a cup, she took one for herself and settled down on the couch. Her worried eyes were fixated on the boys innocently playing at their feet. Albus took a couple of sips to wet his throat before speaking. "This has been a very enlightening evening for us all. I would never have thought that both young Harry and Alex were natural-born magi. I'm sure that if I were to report their Merlinian scores to the Mage Association, there would be several high-level magi and possibly a couple of archmagi would fight to take them as apprentices. Natural-born magi are extremely rare, as you may know. That the twins have such astounding potential is both a blessing and a curse. It could severely endanger your family if their scores were leaked to Voldemort. It would paint a bigger target on you four than you already have. At the same time, with potential like theirs, I would be remiss if I didn't teach them to become the best wizards they can be. I have no doubt that even without the prophecy, they would go on to have a lasting impact on the British Wizarding World and possibly beyond. With your permission, I would like to teach them some basic exercises to control their magic. As magi, their power would far exceed their peers, and it could potentially be dangerous if not managed properly. Their accidental magic would be powerful enough to cause serious harm if they cannot control their outbursts. As of right now, both of you can teach them the basics of magical theory as they seem to be smart enough to understand. I have several children's books I can recommend so they can get started."

Unknown to both parties, Alex had been listening to their conversation. He had been half-heartedly playing around with the ball so they wouldn't realize he could understand what they were talking about. It seems like the test results showed that both he and Harry were powerful. Their results had stopped at 200, so whatever had been measured had obviously topped out the scale. After this, Dumbledore had referred to them as "natural-born magi". The term "magi" was probably some rank that was achieved past a 200 reading on whatever that test gauged. He had felt weird during the test as if his body was undergoing a scan of some sort, kind of like a less noisy MRI. The feeling had started at the bottom of his feet and worked its way up to the magic circle on his head. Hearing that Merlin and the Four Founders had been natural-born magi was something that surprised him. The books always spoke of them like they were legendary figures of immense power and knowledge.

The fact that he and Harry had the potential to be as strong as them was something that amazed him. He had expected to be more of a background character that helped Harry and his friends out. When he became Harry's younger twin brother, that had been a pleasant surprise. Finding out that they were both immensely powerful for their age and could go on to compete with the Founders in power made him ecstatic. This way, he could really help Harry with the quest to destroy Voldemort. He made a promise to work hard and push Harry to achieve their full potential.

He heard Dumbledore mentioning some exercises for magic control and barely resisted scowling. The man pretended to be everyone's grandfather and that was how he got away with most of his crimes. Nobody other than the Dark faction thought he had a devious bone in his body. Alex knew, though. This was a man who would happily martyr a young child for his Greater Good. With his power and influence, he looked down on British magical society as his personal chessboard. He was always thinking several moves ahead, and extended contact with the man was something he didn't really want. Lord knows what would happen if Dumbledore went rooting around inside his head and found foreign memories there. He would probably be Obliviated to the point he actually became a slobbering baby. Of course, none but the great and all-knowing Albus Dumbledore would know what to do with the information. God forbid anyone decides to object to his master plan for the "betterment" of the British Wizarding World. He honestly felt worried about his parents, as he didn't know how to properly prevent their deaths. The sound of shuffling broke him out of his deep thoughts as he saw Dumbledore get up from the chair.

"Thank you once again for taking the time to invite me to your home. I will send the details of the exercises and the memory of how to perform and teach them. While the situation is rather tenuous, worry not, for the Order is working on a plan to put a big dent in Voldemort's forces. Hopefully, we will secure the help of the Aurors and be able to take out most of the Inner Circle during the operation. Should we succeed, the war will definitely turn in our favor. I have a suspicion that we might have a traitor in our ranks, so I have not revealed any information about the boys and have instructed Sirius to do the same. As of right now the only people in the Order who even know their names, not counting the Longbottoms, are myself and Sirius. I plan on using some misinformation to force a confrontation with Voldemort, so we will not be able to see each other for a while. The operation carries some significant risks on my part, so I must tell you this in advance. Should I fall in battle, Fawkes will help you flee England and take your family to the Headquarters of the Mage Association, where you can request sanctuary. With your children being natural-born magi, they will not deny your request. You will be safer with them than you will ever be here. Voldemort would be foolhardy to even attempt attacking you while under their protection, and your boys would receive the best possible education they could get. Please promise me you will do this. The children of prophecy must be protected at all costs, or else all hope will be lost for Britain. Promise me, both of you."

That impassioned plea from Dumbledore had thrown Alex for a loop. Telling them to run and protect him and Harry was something quite out of character. Could it be that this Dumbledore was different from the book? After all, he was the brother of Harry Potter, maybe people were much different in this world. Shit, had he been cluelessly hating the man due to his preconceived notion about his manipulative, sinister nature? This would take some serious research. He didn't want to foolishly not take advantage of the knowledge of a man like Albus Dumbledore. He stared at the man as his parents tearfully promised to follow his instructions. He bade them goodbye and turned towards where they were playing. He gave a jovial smile as he waved and said: "Goodbye, Harry and Alex! I hope to see you soon." Harry gave a bright smile as he waved his chubby hand in response. "Buh-bye Grampa Albus!" Alex also gave a slightly forced grin as he mimicked Harry while saying "Bye, Grampa Albus!" Cheerfully waving back, he summoned Fawkes and left in a flash of fire that left Harry staring in wonder.

Alex stared at the spot he had disappeared and wondered just how different the world was to what he had read and seen. Was Voldemort more powerful? If so, would his family survive the war? He came to a swift conclusion. 'Of course, they will. I'll make sure of it, one way or another.'


	9. End of the War and Picking Up the Pieces

Somehow, the spy had leaked the information of Sirius Black being the Potter's Secret Keeper and the inner workings of the Fidelius. This meant that they were a trusted member who knew intimate details of the protection scheme for the Potters. Sirius had been attacked by three Inner Circle Death Eaters barely a week later and survived the encounter by the skin of his teeth. Albus had given him a portkey to Hogwarts that allowed him to make his escape once he downed two of the Death Eaters. He knew without a doubt that his status had been compromised and they needed to switch Secret Keepers.

Without telling Dumbledore, he had gone to Potter Cottage and asked whether their friend Peter Pettigrew could become their new Secret Keeper. He was willing to act as a decoy, given the last attack. He feared that he might have broken if he had been captured and tortured long enough. Remus had been embedded with a werewolf colony on the Continent to prevent them from following Fenrir Greyback. The main reason they hadn't told him about the switch was the possibility of him being captured was high. He was operating without any form of backup, seeing as the werewolf packs didn't appreciate human wizards.

The worst attack occurred just a couple of weeks after the news leaked. Potter Manor had been attacked by an entire contingent of Death Eaters, along with Voldemort himself. He had wanted to draw out James by going after his parents, but he hadn't been prepared for the kind of fight he had gotten. Charlus Potter was no slouch, and as a veteran of the Global Wizarding War, had no problem fighting with extremely Dark Curses. The man had taken down nearly 12 Death Eaters by himself before the wards were breached and he was forced to retreat. No one was able to find out what happened next, because the Manor had been destroyed in the aftermath. The bodies of Charlus and Dorea were never found, and Dumbledore had thought Voldemort was keeping them hostage. Unfortunately, Voldemort had taunted the Order by proclaiming their deaths at his hand. He had been especially saddened by Charlus' untimely passing when he gave the news to James. James and Lily were reeling in grief at their loss. The Fidelius prevented them from even attending a burial, causing them to break down in front of him. Albus had never felt so old and helpless before. He had given them his condolences and left, hoping that maybe the twins could help them get over their sorrow.

After giving his condolences to James and Lily, Dumbledore hurried back to Hogwarts. Destined for another sleepless night, he started writing missives to the Inner Circle Order members. He had chosen 4 people who he trusted implicitly to help plan a proactive campaign against the Death Eaters. Enough was enough. He was sick and tired of all the funerals. Tired of treating his enemies with honor and respecting their right to live. His people were fighting with their hands tied, and it was time to let them loose. It would hurt him to do it, but the time had come for him to take the field and fight back with lethal force.

It was a startling change in direction from the usual tactics when Dumbledore revealed his plan to actively combat the Death Eaters. He compartmentalized the entire Order and disseminated information on a need-to-know basis. There was a spy, or possibly multiple spies in the Order that needed to be found. He had his suspicions about one in particular but had not acted on his hunch until now. He split his forces into three well-rounded teams and gave them orders to attack the Death Eaters during a raid. Severus had come through with information on multiple raids that would occur during the week. The Order members were allowed to use lethal force as necessary to stop the attacks.

On the eve of the first Death Eater raid, Albus met with the members of the Order squad tasked with fighting against them. A couple expressed their hesitance at Albus' departure from his normal tactics, but he assured them of his decision. Reminding them of their numerous losses served as a motivator to use everything at their disposal to end the war. He spoke of his confidence in them and their abilities, stating the reasons why he had brought them together. He wanted them to wear robes modeled after the Unspeakables. When the hoods were drawn, a powerful Obscuring Charm would take effect, masking their faces. Alongside hiding their faces, their voices were changed with a Voice-Modulation Charm that made sure anyone who heard them would not be able to identify their gender. The robes were slightly baggy to make height and shape difficult to determine and they would have no identifiable marks linking them to the Order. He wanted to surprise the Death Eaters and make them think another force had chosen to take a stand against them. They left with high morale and a determination Albus hadn't felt in a long time. These were wizards and witches who had the initiative and drive to survive and win.

The first raid came and the Death Eaters Apparated into Diagon Alley and attacked a couple of shops owned by Muggleborns and Halfbloods. The Order squad had been waiting for them and immediately fought back. Some of the Death Eaters thought that the new group was a part of the Order, as they were the only vigilante group fighting against them. In their minds, the Order never utilized lethal or Dark curses and spells. They would simply toss Stunners and other various spells, allowing their comrades to inflict as much damage as possible before Apparating away. That was how it would have gone, had Albus Dumbledore not drastically changed his approach.

The Order members started their offense with their usual non-lethal take-down spells. Suddenly, 10 seconds into the initial barrage, Elphias Doge threw a Bone-Exploding Curse at his partner's opponent. Caught off guard, it hit the Death Eater square in the chest, dropping him instantaneously. The others were astonished as they saw their comrade fall, and were subsequently brought down by several Dark curses thrown by the other Order members. Of the six Death Eaters who participated in the attack, not a single one was left alive. The Order members helped the civilians as much as they could before apparating away at the first sign of the Aurors.

Albus' plan worked, as none of the civilians who had been saved were able to give any identifiable descriptions of their saviors. The way they were being described, many people thought that the Unspeakables had gotten involved in the fight. It was an open secret that while the Unspeakables researched the many mysteries of magic, the organization also had another arm. This arm was simply known as "Field Operations". Their missions and personnel details were all heavily classified. Even Dumbledore in his capacity as Chief Warlock was rarely if ever briefed on their activities.

The Department of Mysteries was a separate entity that answered to two institutions alone. Their parent organization InterBUn (International Bureau of Unspeakables), or IBU for short, and the ICW. The IBU was run out of the ICW headquarters where all the nations with an established "Department of Mysteries", shared their respective research and breakthroughs. The Field Operations wing of the IBU served as the magical world's Interpol. They specialized in tracking down rogue Dark Wizards who committed crimes against the magical world or threatened the Statute of Secrecy. It was said that the Field Operatives were the finest fighters across the magical world, just shy of the ICW War-Wizards and the magi from the Mage Association. They could only be deployed by the IBU with the approval of the ICW. If they had fought against the Death Eaters, then even Voldemort would have to start worrying.

The shock and awe of seeing the cloaked fighters killing the Death Eaters ruthlessly had sent rumors flying all around. They made their way back to Voldemort, who had immediately summoned Augustus Rookwood, his spy in the Department of Mysteries. It had taken a couple of hours for him to arrive, and Voldemort had made his displeasure known through a hearty _Crucio_ the moment he had arrived. Lifting the spell after nearly 20 seconds, he had demanded answers from Rookwood about the rumors that Field Operations had intervened. Rookwood had nervously answered him while he trembled from the aftereffects of the Cruciatus. "M-m-my Lord. I-I have n-no idea i-i-if they a-are involved. I am n-no-not g-given any information o-on their ac-activities." Resisting the desire to Crucio him again, Voldemort told him to get out as he thought about his next move. With Rookwood being useless, he had to move forward under the assumption that the Unspeakables were now working against him.

He was furious about the ICW declaring war against him. He would show them the power of Lord Voldemort and soon enough, they would fall at his feet. He imagined torturing and killing their families in front of them for daring to fight against him. He was an immortal, one that those filthy politicians would never be able to defeat. That's when he had a brilliant idea. His chief political advisor, Lucius Malfoy, was already bribing members of the ICW to not intervene in Britain. Most nations hadn't forgiven Britain's lack of response until their interests were threatened in the Global Wizarding War. Sure, Albus Dumbledore ending the war had raised Britain's reputation worldwide, but they didn't acknowledge him as Albus Dumbledore from Britain. They saw him as Albus Dumbledore, Master from the Transfiguration Guild and ICW War-wizard. When the British delegate and Supreme Mugwump had asked for aid, they had been met with cold apathy from their colleagues. Of course, the copious amounts of money and illicit favors that Lucius had given them had only increased their neutrality. If anyone could find out about IBU matters, it would be Lucius Malfoy through several "donations".

Summoning Malfoy to him, he had gotten a prompt response. Lucius had arrived within minutes and bowed before him. "My Lord, you called for me?" Voldemort gave a sinister smile as he looked at the man. He was the epitome of Slytherin cunning. A consummate politician and traditionalist that valued the future of Pureblood magicals. "Yes, Lucius. Rumors have reached my ears of IBU Field Operatives killing my Death Eaters. You told me that the ICW has been taken care of. So I ask you, why they have chosen to intervene now?" Voldemort heard Lucius audibly gulp as he tried to give him an answer. "My Lord, as far as I am aware, the ICW had not made any decision to intervene in our crusade. I have been in frequent contact with my informants and none of them have given me any notice about it." Hearing Lucius' reasoning, Voldemort tapped his finger on the throne, deep in thought. "I want you to reach out to your contacts and I don't care how much money you have to spend or who you have to kill or kidnap, you will find out if the IBU has decided to act against us. Am I clear?" Lucius bowed deeper as he spoke. "Yes, my Lord. I shall spare no expense in finding the information you desire." Voldemort lightly snorted as he dismissed him. "You may go, Lucius. Do give my regards to Narcissa and the children." Trying to keep a straight face, Lucius kept his head low as he withdrew from the chamber.

Upon closing the door. Lucius almost collapsed as sweat lined his brow. That was one of the most nerve-wracking interactions he had ever had with the Dark Lord. It seems that the rumors of the Unspeakables had deeply unsettled him. Honestly, Lucius was rather scared too. If he found out the IBU was going to fight them, he would give up in an instant. The black-cloaked men in Field Operations were not ones who would be swayed by money or gifts. They would likely grab him from the street or his home and interrogate him about the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord. They did not mess around, and Lucius was worried about what that might mean for his family. The Ministry wouldn't be able to save him if the IBU captured him. At best, he would be given a long prison sentence for his role in the numerous attacks over the years. At worst, he would die a dog's death and no one would ever find his body. Attempting to collect himself and his thoughts, he rushed out of Riddle Manor as quickly as possible. He needed to reach out to his contacts immediately. The lives of him and his family were at stake.

With the first attack successfully thwarted, the Order's morale was at an all-time high. For the first time in a long time, they had taken out the Death Eaters and limited civilian casualties. Their ambush had taken them by complete surprise and the rumors they had left in their wake affected their enemy badly. The attack that had been scheduled had been abruptly postponed. Severus had confirmed to Albus that the Dark Lord had been worried about the possibility of the Unspeakables joining the fight. He had tasked Lucius Malfoy with uncovering information about any active IBU operations against the Death Eaters. Albus knew that it would be only a matter of time until they found out that the fighters were from the Order. If he knew Tom well, then the postponement would only be temporary. He needed to show that he was not intimidated by anyone, even if he was. It would also serve as a rallying cry to his forces that they would not let the ICW stop their "noble crusade". He would use the deaths of the Death Eaters who perished at Diagon Alley to foment hatred among his remaining forces. Severus would have to be careful, as he might also be conscripted to participate in a future attack.

After a two day delay, Severus had notified him of another upcoming attack. This was the continuation of the first one, but Voldemort was being careful. He was sending some experienced Inner Circle members to help guide the newer ones. They would be able to marshal their forces more effectively and fight against an organized unit. This was Albus' time to shine. He would be ready and waiting with Fawkes. When the attack starts, he would flame travel in, as there wasn't anyone knowledgeable enough in Warding to prevent phoenix travel among the Death Eaters. The plan was for him to cast overpowered Anti-Apparition and Anti-Portkey Wards underneath the existing ones the Death Eaters would put up in preparation for the attack. This would prevent them from taking their personalized portkeys that were keyed to the wards to allow them through. They would be trapped inside with Albus Dumbledore and the Order members.

The day of the attack came, and Albus was worried. He was still haunted by the spirits of the dead. Was he doing this because it was the right thing to do? Or was it to make himself feel better? He was worried that even with him taking the field, it was too little too late. Several prominent family lines both Light and Dark had been ended in the course of this war. 'It's on days like these that I remember your advice, Master Wolfe. I have acted as the weak man for too long. It is time to correct my mistakes and fight for the collective future of Magical Britain.' Digging deep inside himself, he brought up memories of his duel with Gellert, the death of his sister, the pictures of the children in the camps. The cold look in his precious students' eyes as they had carved their way through a battlefield. The madness in Gellert's eyes as he announced his grand plan for the Greater Good. Seeing the blank look on his sister's face after she was struck by the Killing Curse. He let them flow through him and channeled them into the Elder Wand.

The wand hummed in delight as it received the visions of carnage and slaughter. It seemed to be drawn towards violence, with it giving Albus strength when blood was going to be shed. When he opened his eyes, gone was the twinkling and kind visage of Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts. In his place, stood Albus Dumbledore, Defeater of the Dark Lord Grindelwald. He had dug deep into himself to summon the coldness he had felt all those years ago. He was going to fight to kill so his precious students wouldn't have to later on. To prevent the stain of blood on their hands, he was going to massacre these people. May Magic have mercy on his soul.

The signal glowed, informing Albus it was time. Summoning Fawkes, he flame traveled to the inside edge of the wards. Immediately, he set Fawkes to watch his surroundings as he started putting up several wards that prevented Apparition, Portkeys and also wards that prevented people from running outside. He had essentially created a bubble that only he or his death could dispel. There would be no escape for these animals, he would ensure it. Having set the wards, he flamed to the top of a building near the main attack. Like a conductor with his baton, he flicked the Elder wand and levitated every decently sized piece of brick and stone he could find, and transfigured them into deadly animals of various sizes. The wood shrapnel was also levitated and turned into arrows that shot towards the Death Eater ranks.

The effect had been immediate. Several arrows had found their mark and punched holes into the bodies of the Death Eaters who hadn't dodged in time. The rest were beset by a horde of animals that sought to rip and tear them to pieces. The newer recruits started panicking, which resulted in their untimely deaths. The more experienced Inner Circle Death Eaters were struggling as well. They hadn't expected the appearance of Albus Dumbledore, and more so, the lethal force he would use. They tried to portkey out, only to find that the ones Voldemort had given them didn't work. Albus saw their looks of confusion as he slowly levitated himself off the roof and walked towards them. "Lord Nott. Lord Rowle. How delightful to see you again. I believe your sons condemned the actions of the Death Eaters in the last Wizengamot session. Quite the curious situation we find ourselves in. I wonder, do they know their fathers are part of a terrorist organization? Or are they perfectly aware, being members of the organization themselves? I have to say that it was a marvelous example of misdirection on your part. No one would assume two Lords of the Sacred Twenty-Eight would engage in such activities."

Nott seemed nervous at his presence but was trying to not let it show. "Dumbledore. Lord Rowle and I have no idea what you are talking about. We were here trying to defend the people from the Death Eaters. I will see you step down as Chief Warlock should you continue making such baseless accusations against the House of Nott." Rowle nodded along and put in his own two Knuts. "Exactly right, Lord Nott. Such accusations are unacceptable and the House of Rowle shall join the House of Nott to seek recompense." Dumbledore let the two clowns try to talk their way out of the situation, but was unamused. He was observing the surrounding area as they blustered on.

The Order was triaging a couple of civilian casualties and stabilizing the damaged buildings. From what he could tell, some of them weren't going to make it. They had been hit by some especially Dark Curses that he knew would most likely only be found in a family grimoire. These two men had most definitely participated in the attack and killed those innocents. He decided to stop their rambling. "Gentleman. Let us get to the heart of the matter. I know you two are Death Eaters, just as I know that both of you actively participated in this attack. I am appalled that I let things devolve this far. It looks like I can start making up for my mistakes with your deaths. I wish it hadn't come to this, but sadly, I am out of options. It is time I send a message to Tom."

The two Lord's faces went pale after they heard his declaration. Nott started to bluster on with a bravado that could only come from an innate feeling of superiority. "Now see here, Dumbledore. As Chief Warlock, if we are suspected of a crime, you have to arrest us. We must be tried before the Wizengamot and only they can punish us!" Dumbledore's eyes looked like ice as he viciously glared at the two Lords. "No. There will be no trial for you two. You and your ilk have abused our justice system, and transformed it into the corrupt and ineffective entity it currently is. You make a mockery of our laws by throwing around your Galleons to escape punishment. No more. I will be delivering actual justice to you shortly. Do not worry yourselves. Unlike some of the good people you both have killed, you at least have family to continue your lines. Now will you surrender, or will you drag out your deaths?"

"_Avis_." With a flick of his wand, he conjured several hummingbirds that started to fly around him. Using some of them as shields, he transfigured the rest into flaming phoenixes and set them towards the enemy. There were still several Death Eaters still standing behind the two Lords. They were most likely trying to save themselves by hiding behind them. It was almost laughable how ineffective that tactic was. With a lazy jab of his wand, two phoenixes kept flying straight towards Nott and Rowle, while the rest flew above their heads and towards the group behind them. Nott and Rowle were able to use a pair of strong shields to negate his attack, but the ones behind them weren't as lucky. 4 of them were burnt to a crisp as they bore the brunt of the attack, the others all had varying degrees of burns all over their bodies. Regardless, they were taken out of the fight.

Nott saw the others falling and he coordinated his attack with Rowle to claim the initiative. Rowle effectively shielded him as he threw lethal Dark Curses with abandon. The two must have realized that escape wasn't an option. Dumbledore conjured several small slabs of marble to receive the curses while also transfiguring the remaining hummingbirds into knives, and sending them at the pair. The_ Protego_ shield that Rowle was using could only shield against magical attacks. Physical attacks had to be shielded with a more powerful shield spell that he obviously didn't know. The knives had cut through his shield and impaled him multiple times in the chest. Nott, seeing Rowle go down, forewent defense and started to use the Unforgivables. Dumbledore proved to be rather spry for a man of his age as he twisted away and slipped past the curses with ease. Nott got tired quickly, as sustained use of the Unforgivables was difficult to maintain. Only a man like Voldemort or a mage from the Mage Association could handle such an output before succumbing to magical exhaustion.

Sweat was pouring from Nott's face as struggled to cast another Killing Curse. The tell-tale green spell was fizzling at the tip of his wand, but was blinking in and out of existence. He was done for. He collapsed onto his knees, panting heavily with his wand at his side. Dumbledore walked up to him slowly, being mindful to stay aware and not underestimate any tricks Nott might have up his sleeve. When he was within 5 feet, Nott looked up at him with a insane smile on his face. "You may kill me, Dumbledore, but my legacy will live on. The Dark Lord will succeed in his endeavor and we, his loyal servants, shall cleanse British Wizarding Society! You will never be able to stop him. He is beyond you, old man. Mark my words, Dumbledore! He will avenge us! Your precious Order will fall and all will bow before the Dark Lord! He started cackling with glee at the thought. Dumbledore simply looked at him with unemotionally. He thought of young Neville and the Potter twins, Alexander and Henry. 'For the children.' He pointed his wand in between Nott's eyes and fired a Piercing Curse, splattering blood and grey matter all over the ground.

Turning away from the corpse, he addressed the Order members behind him. "My friends, it is time to reveal who we are." With those words, the Order members tapped the button shaped clasp that secured their cloaks. It transformed into a silver phoenix shape as the rear of the cloak flared with fire as a pattern in the shape of the flaming phoenix was revealed. Their robes also shifted colors from black to a light blue. Dumbledore had no doubt that their plan to masquerade as Unspeakables would be revealed shortly. He had heard that Lucius Malfoy had been in contact with several people in the ICW. It would only have been a matter of time before the ruse was ineffective. He had decided to instead use this attack to promote the Order of Phoenix and the good work they do. With several of their members killed, they needed to new blood to continue the fight.

He saw several people observing him from the wreckage all around him. He cast a non-verbal, wandless _Sonorus_ as he began speaking. "My dear witches and wizards of the British Magical community. No doubt, you all know who I am. My name is Albus Dumbledore and I stand here, begging you to listen to my plea. We have been under attack by the terrorist known as Lord Voldemort and his servants called the Death Eaters for nearly 10 years now. They have instilled fear into our hearts and taken many loved ones in their ignoble quest to cleanse the Wizarding World of those they deem "dirty" of blood. What you saw today was but a mere fraction of the carnage that these animals have left behind from their raids. They have committed heinous and unforgivable acts of violence upon Muggles and magicals alike. The people you saw today coming to the defense of you and your loved ones are members of the Order of the Phoenix. I founded the Order in the beginning of the war against Voldemort to help protect the innocent from the Death Eaters. We have lost many good people during these last few years. So I speak to you now, to call upon all those who are able, to stand and fight alongside us! We must unite and take back our society from these murderers who would see us enslaved! We must not give in to fear! Lest we forget, the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil, is for good people to do nothing. Join us in our quest to save Britain. Or else, all will be lost. Thank you for listening."

Finishing his speech, he dispelled his wards and immediately heard multiple cracks of Apparition as several Aurors arrived on the scene. They first noticed Dumbledore standing in the middle of the street in his brightly colored robes. Then they looked around and saw the devastation around him. The smell of burning flesh hit their noses as they proceeded forward and several couldn't hold back from vomiting. The lead Auror, Gawain Robards looked behind Dumbledore and noticed the cloaked Order members tending to the wounded. "Good afternoon, Chief Warlock Dumbledore. May I ask what exactly happened here?" Albus gave him a calm smile and explained. "I was nearby and noticed a disturbance around the area. I heard screams and explosions, so I came to see what was happening, and witnessed a Death Eater raid. I chose to stay and help defend the people who were caught up in the attack. I coordinated with the members of the Order of the Phoenix, who worked to fight back against them. We were able to successfully rout the attackers and finish them off." Robards' eyes widened at the last statement. "The Order of the Phoenix? You mean the vigilante organization? I must ask, are you a member?" Dumbledore saw where this line of questioning was going, but chose to answer anyway. "Yes, Auror Robards. I guess I could be counted as a member, seeing as I founded the group." Robards nodded and procured a set of magic suppression cuffs from his robes. "Then under Ministry law, I will have to arrest you for being a part of a vigilante organization as classified by the Ministry.

The captive audience that was listening to their conversation started shouting when they heard Robards' statement. Cries from different people were heard. "You incompetent lout! How dare you try to arrest Professor Dumbledore! If it wasn't for him, we'd all be dead!" Another one shouted. "The Ministry is corrupt and has been useless for years! At least someone's fighting back against the Death Eaters." Angry shouts started erupting from the crowd as they banded together and started marching towards Robards and the Aurors. Robards saw the quickly deteriorating situation and tried to establish his authority. "All of you citizens must back away. This is DMLE business! If you interfere, you will be arrested for obstruction of justice!" That seemed to incite the crowd even more. A man in the front who had blood running down his face from a wound on his head marched up and stretched his fists forward. "If you're going to arrest Dumbledore, then you better arrest me too!" He inspired the crowd which started a chant of "Arrest us too!" as they raised their hands in surrender. Even the Aurors accompanying Robards started to feel uncomfortable. The already volatile situation was starting to become explosive. If they actually arrested Albus Dumbledore, they would likely be a full-blown riot on their hands.

He hated having to capitulate, but Robards saw the writing on the wall and backtracked. "I apologize Chief Warlock Dumbledore. Despite my hesitance to accept vigilantism, you and your Order did defend these people from harm. Thank you for helping the DMLE. You may leave. We have the situation under control." Dumbledore had a gentle smile on his face as he nodded and turned to the crowd. "Thank you, my dear friends for standing up for me. However, if we are to survive this war, we need to stop fighting each other and work together. If you want to help fight against Voldemort's tyranny, the Order of the Phoenix shall welcome you. Take care." He gave a subtle signal to the Order members and they all portkeyed away in a flash of flame, resembling phoenix travel.

His speech had inspired many to take up arms against the Death Eaters. Order recruitment had soared to the point that they were nearly 170 members strong. A few Aurors who were disgruntled with the Ministry joined up and started to train recruits to at least Junior Auror standards. With training and a fire within them, they took the fight to the Death Eaters and the results were incredible. Many newer Death Eaters had been caught quickly and remanded to the custody of the Ministry. They had even made a dent on Voldemort's inner circle. Antonin Dolohov, Rabastan Lestrange, and Igor Karkaroff had been captured successfully. Dolohov and Lestrange, ever the faithful followers, refused to cooperate with the Ministry and were subsequently sent to Azkaban. Karkaroff pleaded for mercy and publicly defected by naming the names of a few Death Eaters who had been previously unknown. All those named had bounties for their capture put on them and were unable to operate in the light. This had led to the Death Eaters' recruitment to falter. While many pure-bloods secretly approved of Voldemort's message, they refused to join the Death Eaters out of fear of being captured and imprisoned.

Meanwhile, the public image of the Order had skyrocketed, with many more people taking the initiative to join them. They saw all the good that they had done and the lives they had saved. It had inspired them into action, seeing strangers risking their lives fighting Dark Wizards for them. Even the Ministry had reclassified the Order from a vigilante group to trusted partners. No doubt to grab onto their coattails for the trust and adoration of the public. Dumbledore didn't necessarily care though, because now the group had legitimacy and could publicly coordinate with the DMLE and access their resources.

With the backing of the Ministry, the Order was able to whittle down the Death Eaters into a shell of their former selves. The prestige they held seemed to have disappeared and with the public opinion turned against them, the end of the war was near. The only thing preventing the true ending of the war was the feared Dark Lord Voldemort himself. With his organization in ruins and no one willing to entertain his extremist views, he decided to engage in direct conflict. One final, all-out confrontation with the Order. The only person stopping him from conquering the entire British Wizarding World was that pesky, doddering old Dumbledore. If he managed to kill the old man, then no one would be able to stop him.

He summoned his Death Eaters and informed them of his plan. Some, like the Lestrange couple, the Carrow siblings and Barty Crouch Jr had supported with fanatic loyalty. They truly believed that Voldemort was more powerful than Dumbledore. Others opposed such a reckless idea, seeking to find a middle ground where they continued their Death Eater activities but did so while in positions of influence and power. Lucius Malfoy and Walden Macnair tried to persuade Voldemort otherwise, saying that they could simply peddle their influence to force the Ministry to act on their behalf. A battle was not needed as in the long-run, Dumbledore and the Order's influence would wane while their's grew. They would infect the Ministry and the schools with their ideology and would shape the minds of young wizards to support their cause. With them on their side, his victory would be inevitable.

While liking the subtle and effective strategies put forth by the duo, Voldemort was displeased with them. They had gotten comfortable in their positions of power and were loath to give them up. It seemed like a test was needed, to see whether they remained loyal to him. "I have decided already Lucius, Macnair. You will accompany me in this battle and we will win. Unless you do not wish to fight alongside your Lord?" The last question was put forth to see their reactions. If they even hesitated once, then he would much rather dispose of them now. His most loyal Death Eaters looked with gazes of contempt and rabidness at them. He had no doubt they would tear the two apart if they sensed their loyalty wavering.

Lucius had caught on rather quickly and kneeled. He spoke with unwavering loyalty in his voice "As you command, so it shall be my Lord." Macnair, seeing Lucius proclaim his loyalty, rushed to do the same. "I shall fight harder than ever before, for you, my Lord. We will win against the accursed Order and you shall be triumphant against Dumbledore." Knowing he had lost the initiative, he tried to embellish his praise to outshine Lucius. Voldemort looked at them with an indifferent glance while maintaining silence. The duo's figures trembled as they awaited his judgment. It was akin to a Sword of Damocles, hanging over their heads. His next words determined their life and death.

"Very well. The two of you have been loyal to me all these years, have you not? I hope that you accompany me in the final battle and you try your best. Otherwise..." He stopped talking but his meaning was crystal clear to both Lucius and Macnair. If they didn't at least look like they were trying to kill the members of the Order, then they might be killed by their compatriots. Solemnly swearing to fight like their lives depended on it, which it did, they took their leave. Lucius looked at Macnair as he met his gaze. They both knew what was going on in the other's mind. They enjoyed their positions as Family Heads. The lives of their families and themselves were comfortable. Despite their proclamations of loyalty, neither of them wanted to rush headlong into fighting with the Order. They both had reputations to keep and fighting alongside the Dark Lord was usually a one-way ticket to Azkaban, or death if they were lucky. They gave each other a nod and went their separate ways.

Lucius Malfoy immediately rushed home and called out to his wife, Narcissa. His children, Lucretia and Draco were toddling behind her, so Lucius told the house elves to take them to play in their room. He sat down with Narcissa and spoke seriously. "Narcissa, the Dark Lord has grown tired of waiting. He has instructed us to prepare for an all-out battle with the Order. I tried to persuade him otherwise, but he forced us to go along with his wishes. There is a chance that he suspects me of not being loyal. If I did anything, then he would kill me and then he would come after you and the children to set an example for others. Please, listen to me. Take them and go to my father's chateau in France. You must leave immediately and if anything happens to me, sell off all that we have here and live peacefully with them in France. With my death, the Ministry will be appeased and won't go after the three of you."

Lucius talked quickly, ignoring Narcissa as he rattled off instructions. If he had paid attention, he would have seen the look of sadness and despair on her face. Her husband was talking as if he knew he wasn't going to survive the battle. What he was saying was akin to making final preparations before his demise. He kept giving her instructions until she couldn't stifle her sobs any longer. Hearing her choke up, Lucius noticed his wife's distress for the first time since he started talking. He was overcome with immense guilt for having ignored her feelings. They both loved each other dearly and hearing him talk as if it would be the last time...

He stopped talking and fiercely hugged Narcissa, holding her as tightly as he could. She put her hands around him and squeezed hard. They both sat there in each other's arms for a couple of minutes, listening to their hearts beat. Lucius broke the hug and cupped her face with his hands. Staring into her eyes he brought her lips to his and they shared a passionate kiss. It was as if he wanted to convey all the love he held for her in that one kiss.

Breaking apart, they stared at each other in silence before Narcissa got up and spoke. "I'll go and pack our bags. Please, be safe Lucius. Our children need you. I need you. Please come home to us." She walked out of the room, leaving Lucius alone with his thoughts. He wanted to prevent the final battle from happening. The Dark Lord had become increasingly manic as the war had progressed. Lucius had slowly started distancing himself from the radical views held by the Dark Lord. While he didn't like Muggles, Mudbloods or blood traitors, his initial disdain and contempt had dulled into apathy. The turning point had been the birth of Lucretia. He stopped caring a long time ago about his fellow Death Eaters and the cause they were fighting for, choosing to focus on his family instead. He wanted to be a good husband and father to his children.

The notion of blood purity mattered to him, but not enough to sacrifice his life and freedom for it. He needed to figure out how to end the war without being seen as a traitor and having his family hunted down by his companions or the Ministry. The best way was to just warn Dumbledore of what was coming and hope that nobody found out it was him. It was too risky though. If it ever leaked that he was the one who betrayed the Dark Lord, he and his family would be looking over their shoulders for the rest of their lives. His children deserved to live a life free of His control and grow up carefree and happy.

'Wait! That's it! I can warn Severus and he will, in turn, warn Dumbledore. The Dark Lord has always suspected him of having warned Dumbledore about the Potters being hunted. Furthermore, he is Draco's godfather, so he would never betray the fact that I told him.' It was the perfect plan. With Severus acting as an intermediary, none of the other Death Eaters nor Dumbledore would figure out that it was him. Maybe he could call him over to talk about the situation and let slip what the Dark Lord was planning.

After he formulated his plan, he quickly wrote a letter asking Severus to visit later in the day. Before he began his preparations, he waited for Narcissa, Lucretia, and Draco to leave. The children were delighted that they were visiting their grandfather but upset that Lucius could not make it. Both Narcissa and Lucius tried to make the parting as joyous as possible. By the time they left, the children were none the wiser their father was in grave peril and that they might never see him again.

Lucius walked back into the empty manor and sat in his study. At the corner of his desk were pictures from his years at Hogwarts. Pictures of Narcissa and his children adorned all four walls of the room. He meandered from wall to wall, gazing at the numerous pictures of Lucretia and Draco as they grew from babies to toddlers. Fond memories flooded him as he was lost in his reminiscence. He was determined to see them again, at any cost. He was not going to leave his children fatherless and his wife a widow. He needed to be there to protect them. Even if he had to go against the Dark Lord himself, he wouldn't hesitate, if it was for them.

His hand unconsciously clenched around his cane. The handle was the makeshift grip of a wand that could be pulled out from within. It didn't matter to him who he fought against. He would come out alive, no matter what. 'I swear that I will always be there to protect you, until my dying breath.' He poured himself a glass of Ogden's Old Firewhisky and sat in his leather chair. Severus would be coming soon and he needed to be ready, but he needed a drink to calm his nerves. His family's safety and well-being were in his hands now. The plan needed to succeed.

Ten minutes later, a house-elf popped into the room and said: "Master, Severus Snape is here to see you. He is in the sitting room." 'So it begins' Lucius thought as he downed the rest of the glass and stood up. He walked down to where Severus was waiting and greeted him. "Welcome, Severus. How have you been?" Severus Snape looked at him with an indecipherable look, just staring oddly at him. The silence was deafening as Lucius kept smiling at him, waiting for an answer. Snape broke the silence by asking: "Why did you call me, Lucius. You know that I am busy spying on Dumbledore for the Dark Lord. Every time I leave his side, he grows suspicious." He had a tone of annoyance and his curtness towards his old friend sounded quite rude, but Lucius didn't mind at all. This was just how Severus was, regardless of who he was with.

"I've just come from a meeting with the Dark Lord and there is trouble brewing. He is getting tired of his forces being diminished and is going to retaliate. A final battle with the Order is being planned. You must find a way to keep Dumbledore in the dark and when the time is right, we will ambush them and end this war. Then we will go after all the Dark Lord's enemies. Especially those Potters. The Dark Lord feels that their children might be part of the prophecy and a threat to his power. After we kill them, no one will be able to stop the Dark Lord from taking his rightful place as the ruler of the British magical community."

The last bit was one he had ad-libbed but knew would be the most effective way of getting Snape to inform Dumbledore. His love for Lily Potter stemmed back to their school days and Lucius never forgot his anger at James Potter for marrying the love of his life. Using her life as bait was a cruel thing for Lucius to do, but he didn't care. He would use whatever he had at his disposal to make his plan succeed.

His ploy worked exactly as he intended. Snape hadn't batted an eye at the information about the Dark Lord rousing his Death Eaters for a grand battle. The moment Lily Potter was mentioned, although his face never changed, Lucius saw the fluctuation of emotions in his eyes. He still loved her, and that would give him the proper motivation to tell Dumbledore. Even if he couldn't be with her, he would do anything to protect her, including betraying the Dark Lord. Lucius was counting on his love for Lily to stop the plan of the Dark Lord. He'd figure out his situation afterward, but the Dark Lord must be stopped.

Snape nodded heavily and stood up saying "Alright, Lucius. I shall go and inform Dumbledore." Lucius was stunned. Why would Severus so openly admit his treason? He saw Severus looking at him with a vicious sneer. "What's wrong, Lucius? Isn't that what you wanted me to do when you told me? After all, you know how much Lily Evans means to me. I must admit, if you hadn't mentioned her, I would've never suspected your intentions." Lucius gulped as he heard Severus laid his intentions out in the open. He wasn't a genius for nothing. Although his love for Lily Potter made him reckless, he was by nature a shrewd and cunning individual. Honestly, Lucius wasn't too surprised he had seen through him, but part of him wished he hadn't. They both knew the other's secrets now. They were in this together, whether they wanted to be or not.

Snape excused himself and left the manor, Apparating away as soon as he cleared the wards. At the very least, Lucius was consoled by the fact that even if he was seen through, the mission was a success. Now came the tricky part. He had to participate in the battle, but not kill any members of the Order. He also had to protect his own life from both sides. No doubt Dumbledore would be amply prepared for the ambush once Snape apprised him of the Dark Lord's plans. If he was correct, Severus would never tell Dumbledore that it was he who provided the information as that would ruin his reputation. He trusted Severus to keep quiet, just as Severus trusted him to not tell the Dark Lord about him warning Dumbledore about the search for the Potters. A mutual understanding had been reached between them and he was confident Severus wouldn't break it.

Preparing his formal Death Eater outfit, Lucius stared at it for a couple of seconds wondering where it all went wrong. He had joined the Death Eaters against the will of his father, Abraxas Malfoy. He had been a headstrong boy that was taken in by the things Voldemort had said. He wanted to get out from under the yoke of the Ministry. He wanted to restore his family to the power and prestige they once held. Other wizards were soft, complying with all the ridiculous measures and rules the Ministry forced upon them. All the while, they would speak of returning to the days of old, but that was all they ever did: speak.

Lucius wasn't interested in words, but actions. Unlike those hypocrites, he was willing to fight to put his family back at the forefront of the wizarding community. The Dark Lord had simply been the conduit for his frustrations and pent up anger. Then he had transformed from the charismatic Heir of Slytherin who wanted to secure the future for Purebloods, into a sadistic tyrant. Lucius had no delusions of grandeur regarding ruling over Muggles, but that's what the Dark Lord's movement had become.

He was a father to two adorable children. His daughter Lucretia had recently turned two years old and his son, Draco had celebrated his first birthday. He was already proving to be a precocious young boy who looked up to him. He wanted to be a man that was worth his son's admiration. He didn't want Draco to grow up with others telling him that his father was an evil Dark Wizard. He wanted to leave behind a legacy his son could look back on with pride, not shame. As he slipped on the black robes, he only had one thought in his mind: Coming back to Narcissa, Lucretia, and Draco. He would do whatever it took to survive the upcoming battle.

He Apparated to the Death Eater's headquarters and awaited the Dark Lord's summon. The headquarters was like a ghost town. Their numbers had dwindled as the war dragged on. It had gone from a bustling hive of activity to an abandoned building with barely any signs of life. As one of the inner circle, it was his duty to be here and help prepare for the attack. He had to demonstrate his loyalty as often as possible to avoid suspicion of both the Dark Lord and his fellow Death Eaters. That way, when their ambush failed, no one would suspect him, the loyal servant who fought alongside his master.

It took a couple of hours, but eventually, his Dark Mark throbbed. The Dark Lord was summoning them. Their assault on the Order was going to begin tonight. If Severus had done his job, this night would mark the end of the war. He made his way to the meeting room and stood among the inner circle of Death Eaters. Each one of them was wearing their official Death Eater uniforms replete with intricately patterned masks. They stared at the Dark Lord with fanaticism in their eyes, seemingly bent on following him to their deaths. They maintained their silence as they waited for the Dark Lord to give the order. He sat brooding on his throne, not speaking or even acknowledging their presence.

The tension could have been cut with a knife as they waited for him to break the silence. Finally, he spoke, "My dear Death Eaters, tonight we shall go into battle against the Order of the Phoenix." Cheers resounded throughout the room. "Our spy in the Ministry has informed us of the location of their headquarters. We shall attack them where they think they are safe. We shall make them an example to all Mudbloods and blood traitors of Europe! The great, Albus Dumbledore shall fall before me! He will beg for mercy at my feet, but he shall find none. Tonight, WE WILL WIN THIS WAR!" He proclaimed loudly as his voice reverberated throughout the headquarters. The most loyal Death Eaters like the Lestrange couple and Barty Crouch Jr cackled in glee at the thought of killing members of the Order. The thought of Dumbledore kneeling before their all-powerful master was something they desperately wanted to see. Others, similar to Lucius, were not so pleased and even anxious at the thought of perishing in battle.

"Come with me! We shall raze the Order to the ground and show what will happen to those who dare resist my rule!" Voldemort spoke with his hands cast wide. His cloak fluttered as he rose from the ground and turned into a cloud of darkness, soaring into the sky. The Death Eaters whooped in joy as they flew up on their brooms, following their Lord. Some of them hesitated but ultimately chose to fly up with their comrades. Lucius closed his eyes briefly, mentally preparing himself for battle. He had spent too much time playing politics and his dueling skills had suffered for it. He opened them and they shone with willpower and hidden resolve as he rose into the sky. Following Voldemort, they all darted through the air towards the headquarters of the Order.

When they reached, they found a dilapidated old building with peeling paint and creaking stairs. Voldemort humphed as he flicked his finger while chanting "_Specialis Revelio_" and the previously old and worn-down building started to transform. What stood in its place after a couple of seconds was a majestic looking building with numerous columns in the front and a grand door flanked by two marble statues. The Death Eaters were surprised at the extent of the transformation and they rushed in to attack. They were initially repulsed by the magical shield on the door, but that was soon torn down with another flick from Voldemort.

Bellatrix, ever the one to make a dramatic entrance, yelled "_Bombarda Maxima_" as she pointed her wand at the door. The door was blown off its hinges violently as it collapsed inwards, revealing a carpeted hallway ahead. The other Death Eaters went forward to clear any magical traps present in the hallway. They easily dismantled them as they proceeded down the corridor until they came upon a door.

Unlike the front door that was blown away by Bellatrix, this door was different. It looked out of place in the magnificent building as it was a plain wooden door. Bellatrix cackled as she was about to throw another Exploding Charm at it before Voldemort said: "Wait." She instantly stopped what she was doing and meekly stepped back. Voldemort went forward towards the door and inspected it. It looked like a simple wooden door, but appearances were often deceiving, especially with that old fox Dumbledore.

He noticed numerous tiny scratches on the door that looked like a wood grain, but he knew better. "The old fool has truly outdone himself. This door has 7 glyphs of protection inscribed 7 times repeatedly, all made to look like the grain of the wood. They are powerful protection circles and would rebound any spells thrown at them. However, it is still child's play before true Dark Magic." He spoke as his hand was engulfed in a black flame that passed through the magic barrier as if it was paper. Placing his hand on the door, a visible black stain started rapidly forming around it. The stain got darker and spread to the rest of the door, eating away at the many defensive runes placed on it. Within minutes, the entire door was stained a dark black and looked ready to fall. Voldemort sneered as he lightly blew at the door and it disintegrated into ashes. "You have to do better if you want to stop me, old man."

He drew back as his Death Eaters rushed in, anticipating the looks of shock and surprise on the faces of the Order members. They were quickly disappointed, seeing nothing but an empty room that looked as if it had been long abandoned. They looked around frantically, hoping to spot anything that might indicate that they were in the right place. Seeing his Death Eaters stop, Voldemort also glided into the room while observing the surroundings. From the looks of the intelligence files, pictures, and maps, it appeared that the building was indeed the headquarters of the Order. Some files were strewn across the floor, indicating that they were dropped by wizards who might have been Apparating away. He clicked his tongue in frustration, it seems they had just missed the Order.

One of the Death Eaters, Avery was angry that he hadn't gotten a chance to kill any Order members. He started yelling in fury "There's no one here! That spy in the Ministry must have lied to us! I'm going to tear that little rat from limb to li-" He was interrupted as a Stupefy spell soared into his back, knocking him unconscious as he dropped to the ground. The Death Eaters were caught off guard as several more spells came barreling towards them. The more skillful ones were able to put up a Shield charm in time, while others couldn't and were knocked unconscious like Avery. Their numbers had already fallen from 25 to 17. They looked around for the sources of the spells, but couldn't see through the darkness. Voldemort decided to give them some aid by snapping his fingers and chanting "_Homenum Revelio_". The Revealing Charm started to highlight the silhouettes of the Order members hiding in the shadows around them. This turned the tide as the Death Eaters were able to fire back now that they knew where to aim their spells.

A chaotic battle ensued as the Order members fought back against an overwhelming number of enemies. None of them knew what was happening. Although the Order was popular, they shouldn't have been able to recruit so many witches and wizards. Yet there they were, outnumbered 4 to 1. They were doing their best to resist the ambush, but the myriad spells being shot at them weren't slowing down. Their numbers were steadily dropping from 17 to 15, till there were only 11 members still left standing.

It was at this point that Voldemort decided to step in. He drew out his wand and started chanting as powerful waves of magic gathered around him. His wand lit up with magical power and he released it upwards towards the positions of their attackers. The spell was devastating, utterly destroying the domed roof of the building. Many of their attackers were injured as they bore the brunt of the force. Seeing a sizable portion of their attackers hurt, the remaining Death Eaters charged at them hoping to take some down. Just as their Killing Curses were about to land, a wall shot up from the ground and absorbed them. Voldemort looked towards the source of the spell. Standing on the edge of the destroyed roof, was Albus Dumbledore in his resplendent robes.

He looked down towards Voldemort and their gazes met. Smirking, Voldemort said "There you are, old man. It looks like you were expecting us. I hope we didn't keep you waiting long. Tonight, we will finally see who is the strongest wizard between us. Be afraid, Dumbledore. The moment of your death is nigh." Completing his speech, he shouted, "Kill the enemy in front of you, my loyal Death Eaters!" as he soared towards Dumbledore.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled in the moonlight as he stood in place, awaiting his opponent. The Elder wand in his hands hummed in anticipation of the great duel about to commence. Chuckling, Dumbledore spoke to the wand "It seems that you are excited to fight an opponent of such caliber. I hope you don't let me down." The wand buzzed in response as he saw Voldemort take up his position opposite him. Dumbledore started their duel by saying "Oh Tom, you could have been much greater than you think. It fills me with regret to see the talented young boy I brought to Hogwarts like this. I should have stopped you the moment you started down the Dark path. It seems that tonight, I shall finally be able to correct my life's greatest mistake."

Voldemort sneered as he listened to Dumbledore's speech. "Hmph. You can't stop me you old fool. I am more powerful than you ever will be! I alone have achieved immortality! I am a God that shall conquer the wizarding world and lead it to greater heights than ever before. All shall kneel before me. A_vada Kedavra_!" As he ended his speech, he threw a Killing Curse at Dumbledore. With a flick of his wand, Dumbledore caused the metal beam at his feet to bend upwards, absorbing the curse. "You are not, and never will be a God, Tom. You will always be a sad little boy who blames the world for your suffering. Your Death Eaters are completely outnumbered and surrounded by the Order and the DMLE. Surrender, and you will live."

Voldemort cackled as if he had heard the funniest joke in his life. "My Death Eaters are simply servants. They cannot ever hope to match the like of me!" Dark tendrils of energy swirled in the air and several of them shot towards Dumbledore who deflected them with a Shield Charm. Voldemort flourished his wand and a silver shield appeared around him as he started to chant another Curse at Dumbledore. "_Flamma Flagellum!_" Dumbledore's wand spewed out a thin whip made of flame that wrapped around the shield, trying to attack Voldemort from behind. Voldemort quickly abandoned his chanting and transfigured the flame into a black snake that viciously attacked Dumbledore. As the snake attacked Dumbledore, Voldemort yelled: "_Avada Kedavra!_", launching another Killing Curse towards him. Dumbledore deftly by pointing his wand at the striking snake and dragged it into the path of the Killing Curse. The snake dissolved into smoke as the curse hit, which Dumbledore used as cover to transfigure pieces of the metal beams at his feet into daggers and shoot through the smoke towards Voldemort. Voldemort, seeing the incoming daggers, transmogrified into pitch-black smoke as they sailed through him.

His body reformed without a scratch on it. Seeing his opponent lightly panting as he looked at him, he triumphantly shouted "Your childish Light magic is failing you old man. Why don't you just admit defeat? It would be easier than delaying your inevitable demise. Give in, and your death will be swift and painless." He tried to affect Dumbledore's morale as he smiled and made his way towards him.

Dumbledore gave a knowing smile as he saw Voldemort approaching him. He chanted "_Aqua Eructo_" as a jet-like stream of water shot towards Voldemort. Voldemort dismissively waved his wand and countered with "_Protego_", trying to deflect the water. Suddenly the deflected water started to swirl around him as it formed a ball of water. Dumbledore lifted his arm while his wand twirled around trapping Voldemort inside.

Now, Voldemort was furious. This old bag of bones had foiled his plans one too many times. If he was gone, there would be no one left to stop him. His rage overtook him as his wand glowed bright orange and a firestorm spewed forth rapidly evaporating the ball of water trapping him. Dumbledore started to struggle as the flames grew uncontrollably, bursting through the gaps in the water prison. He finally couldn't hold the spell any longer as the fire ate through the ball and swirled violently around Voldemort. He could hear Voldemort screaming "WHY. WON'T. YOU. JUST. DIE!" Another Killing Curse was fired at him and Dumbledore reacted with another spell. The bright green and red spell lights battled with one another, creating a dazzling spectacle. As the duel continued, Dumbledore was getting more exhausted and this was reflected in the battle of wills, as Voldemort's Killing Curse started overpowering Dumbledore's spell. Voldemort grinned in delight, pushing his magic power even faster through his wand, determined to kill Dumbledore.

He started slowly taking steps towards the staggering Dumbledore, pushing harder and harder. He felt a feeling of triumph. He was about to defeat and kill the most powerful Light Wizard alive. The man who had defeated his predecessor the Dark Lord Grindelwald. This would solidify his title as the Dark Lord to all. It would prove that Light magic was limited and only Dark Magic could make a wizard truly powerful. In his reverie, he missed the object that was diving towards him from the sky.

As Voldemort drew near, Dumbledore thought 'He has gotten much stronger. It seems that I must resort to Plan B.' He contacted Fawkes, his phoenix companion to execute the plan. 'Do it now, Fawkes!' He heard a trill through their bond as Fawkes dove in front of Voldemort, taking the Killing Curse meant for him. Before Fawkes had attacked Voldemort, he had dropped something into Dumbledore's hands. It was a ruby-encrusted, silver sword that glistened in the moonlight. He charged forth as Fawkes erupted into flames, having been killed. The residual flames rushed towards Voldemort, burning him as they were the natural enemy of Dark Magic. As a being heavily tainted with Dark Magic, Voldemort suffered intense burns as the flames pounced onto him. He was bout to dispel them but was stunned as a silver sword tip shot through the flames and impaled his heart.

He stood in disbelief, seeing the sword run him through. As he tried to turn into smoke, he found out that he couldn't. The sword was preventing him from doing so. He stared at the man holding it as it stabbed him. Dumbledore looked weak, panting in exhaustion as he drove the sword deeper with sheer willpower. He looked at his previous student with mixed emotions. Regret and anger swirled in his eyes as he stared at the monster in front of him. Nothing was left of the talented young man that he had invited to Hogwarts. After many years and the deaths of hundreds, he had finally ended Voldemort's reign of terror. He had finally avenged all his fallen friends.

Voldemort coughed out black blood as he stared unflinchingly at Dumbledore. "So this was your grand plan? I must admit, it was quite entertaining. However, you forgot one thing, you old fool. I am immortal! I have triumphed over Death himself, and if you think you stopped me with this, then you are sorely mistaken. I will take you with me, Dumbledore!" He yelled with a light of madness in his eyes.

Hearing him, Dumbledore saw a gargantuan amount of magic power start to surge from Voldemort's body. 'He's going to detonate his physical body!' Coming to this conclusion, Dumbledore quickly let go of the sword and leaped backward yelling "_Protego Horribilis_" as Voldemort laughed "It's too late, Dumbledore! DIE!" As he screamed, his body ignited and the explosion blasted towards Dumbledore. The flames blasted apart the roof and sent a wave of flame down towards the large scale battle happening underneath. Every person, Death Eater, Order member or Auror instinctively set up a temporary truce to throw out Shield Charms. If they didn't, they would all be roasted alive by the searing black flames. Those with stronger magic were able to handle the backblast unscathed while a few on both sides suffered significant burns.

Dumbledore coughed up blood as he tried to assess the damage his body had taken. He was lying face-up, staring at the beautiful night sky as he saw a black wisp soar from the battlefield. 'It seems he has improved his soul magic by quite a margin. Even without a physical body, he can persist. The Sword of Gryffindor would have caused lasting damage though. It will be some time before he can recuperate. By the time he does, I will make sure that the Chosen One is ready to face him.' Struggling to his feet, he felt his bones creaking as he unsteadily teetered at the edge of the roof. Observing the battle below, he saw the Death Eaters surrounded and hopelessly battling to the last man. He put the tip of his wand on his neck and cast a nonverbal _Sonorus. _"Attention Death Eaters. Voldemort has been defeated and killed! Surrender now, and your lives will be spared!"

His voice reverberated through the chambers, reaching the ears of the Death Eaters still fighting. Hearing that the Dark Lord had been defeated, most of them felt despair. It would only be a matter of time before they couldn't fight any longer. Then, they would be arrested or killed. Lucius Malfoy grinned underneath his Death Eater mask. The plan had worked flawlessly. The Dark Lord had been defeated and his family could enjoy a brief respite before thinking about their next move. Bellatrix was screeching "Impossible! The Dark Lord would never lose to Dumbledore! He's lying to us! Keep fighting until the last man! Show your loyalty to our Lord!" She fought even harder, causing many of their opponents to focus on taking her out first. Within minutes, she was overpowered and knocked unconscious with a Stunning Charm. Seeing their strongest member incapacitated, the rest gave up willingly, kneeling and tossing their wands aside. Lucius thought 'Now's my opportunity!'

He was the last one left standing as he dropped his wand. "I surrender! Please, I was under the Imperius! I never wanted to do any of this! I won't resist!" Removing his mask and getting down on his knees, he saw the people surrounding him. He recognized many of the Aurors and a couple of the Order members. Before he could say anything more, someone sent a Stunner that hit him in the chest. As the world dissolved into black, Lucius thought of his family. Now that he was captured, he had no idea if he would be able to avoid Azkaban. Hopefully, his father would be able to do something. Otherwise, he could rest easy, knowing his wife and children were safe and sound. Even if he had to spend the rest of his life in Azkaban atoning for his many sins, he wouldn't mind so long as his family was safe.

Dumbledore saw the events that happened below him and just stood there, trying not to move. His old body was aching and groaning with every breath, but he couldn't let the enemies see that. He had to put up a strong front to affect their morale. Once the final Death Eater was incapacitated, he Apparated down and slowly shuffled over to the wizards who had participated in the ambush. He looked towards a lady who was covered in soot and had the fringes of her clothes burned. She stood tall and dignified among the Ministry Aurors and hit-wizards. "Madam Bones, I thank you and the DMLE for participating in this battle. With Voldemort defeated, this war has finally reached its conclusion. All that is left, is for the Ministry to pick up the pieces."

Amelia Bones nodded towards Dumbledore, acknowledging his points. "I thank you, Dumbledore. If you hadn't taken away the attention of that monster, many more of my men would have perished in this battle." Dumbledore nodded gently as he turned towards his comrades in the Order. "Today, the Light side has won! As the war has now ended, the Order of the Phoenix shall be dissolved, effective immediately. I thank you for your bravery in these most trying times and ask that you go home to your families. Many of our brave members did not survive to witness this moment, so we shall live on and carry their legacy forward. Their sacrifices shall not be forgotten! Take a good rest. You have all earned it."

An Order member shouted "Three cheers for Dumbledore! Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray!" The Order members whooped and cheered and were even joined in by Amelia Bones and the Aurors. They were grateful for such a powerful Light wizard being there to protect them. Dumbledore accepted the cheers with a soft smile on his face. He felt that he didn't deserve such praise as he was merely doing his duty as Headmaster of Hogwarts. With Tom gone, for now, the future generations could grow up in peace. He felt elated that the war was finally over.

Looking up into the clear night sky, Dumbledore felt an inner peace that he hadn't felt in a long time. He knew that Voldemort was not dead and that he was going to return, but at this moment, he just didn't care. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the cool night breeze softly blowing against his skin. He would also go home and take some rest. His bones ached as he Disapparated from the scene back to Hogwarts. Sinking into his cushy leather chair, he winced in pain. Summoning a Pain Relief Potion from his medicine cabinet, he chugged down the horrid concoction and rinsed it down with some water.

Summoning his regular scotch and Glencairn from the hidden cabinet, he paused and sent the bottle back. He opened up the drawer of his desk and reached for the bottle inside. This bottle of scotch was older than he was. It had been a gift from his mentor Grandmaster Alchemist Nicholas Flamel upon his promotion from Apprentice to Master Alchemist. He had only opened the bottle on special occasions. He felt that the end of the war warranted it. Pouring himself double his usual serving, he sipped it slowly, savoring the smooth taste. The Pain Relief Potion was working its wonders, but he knew that he would have to trouble Poppy soon enough. He had most likely fractured and broken multiple bones after bearing the brunt of the explosion.

Finishing his drink, he sent out a Patronus to call for Poppy's aid. It took a lot more out of him than usual as he groaned at the strain. It was at this time he recalled Nicholas' words when an experiment had failed and exploded in his face, tossing him almost a kilometer away. "I'm getting too old for this shit." Closing his eyes, he waited for Poppy's arrival.


End file.
